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Gabbard claims ‘coordinated effort’ by intelligence community to advance narrative to impeach Trump
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released newly declassified testimony that she alleges shows a «coordinated effort» by the intelligence community to «manufacture a conspiracy» used as the basis of President Donald Trump first impeachment.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Monday released two declassified transcripts from closed-door House Intelligence Committee hearings that Gabbard’s office says show former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson advanced as credible a whistleblower complaint based on secondhand information from an individual who had previously worked with then-Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine. Gabbard’s office argued that, based on this and other testimony, Atkinson’s actions «weaponize[d] the whistleblower process and exceed[ed] his statutory jurisdiction.»
Atkinson’s investigation helped trigger the first impeachment of Trump by advancing what he deemed a «credible» whistleblower complaint regarding a July 2019 phone call between the president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson «did not follow standard IG procedures and relied upon politicized, manufactured narratives» while investigating the whistleblower claim that ultimately led to Trump’s 2019 impeachment, Gabbard’s office said Monday.
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Tuesday the revocation of former intelligence officials’ credentials. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Gabbard, citing previously classified House testimony by Atkinson, said the former inspector general «aggressively advanced» his preliminary probe while relying on secondhand testimony and what she described as politicized witnesses. Gabbard’s office also charged that Atkinson «never conducted a formal or complete investigation.»
«In his own words, IC IG Atkinson recognizes that his conclusions were based on a ‘preliminary investigation,’ noting that ‘I haven’t done an investigation to determine whether they actually, in fact, took place … that all of the alleged actions actually took place,’» according to the statement from Gabbard.
Under federal law, the inspector general’s preliminary role is to determine whether a whistle-blower complaint «appears credible,» rather than to fully investigate or substantiate the underlying allegations. Atkinson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The testimony reveals that Atkinson was aware that the primary whistleblower, whose identity has still not been officially disclosed, was a «registered Democrat» and had alerted staff on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence before submitting their «Disclosure of Urgent Concern» form, Gabbard’s office said.
The whistleblower also admitted having «worked closely with Vice President Biden» and «travelled with Biden to Ukraine and was part of conversations where LUTSENKO corruption was discussed,» according to the DNI release. Yuriy Lutsenko, Ukraine’s prosecutor general from 2016 to 2019, was the official who inherited and closed the Burisma investigation and was subsequently courted by Hunter Biden-linked lobbyists seeking to facilitate connections between the Ukrainian government and Democratic political circles, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Gabbard also accused Atkinson of ignoring any bias, highlighting testimony in which he said, «I also want to make it clear that I never considered the whistleblower to be politically biased.»
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President Donald Trump irked Americans on both sides of the aisle on Sunday night by posting an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
The office said that on the initial form submitted by the whistleblower, they admitted, «I do not have direct knowledge of private comments or communications» by Trump. Notably, whistleblower laws do not require a whistleblower to provide first-hand information, according to the National Whistleblower Center.
Gabbard’s office said one of the «key» witnesses Atkinson relied on to corroborate the whistleblower’s report during his preliminary investigation was also a co-author of the controversial 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian collusion that Gabbard has previously said was instigated at the direction of former President Barack Obama.
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Gabbard, herself a former Democrat, accused Atkinson of having «failed to uphold his responsibility to the American people, putting political motivations over the truth.»
From left, FBI Director Kash Patel, Defense Intelligence Agency Director James Adams, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Acting Commander of the U.S. Cyber Command William Hartman, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are seated before the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)
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«Deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that was used by Congress to usurp the will of the American people and impeach the duly-elected President of the United States,» said Gabbard. «And this, along with the politicization of the whistleblower process by a former CIA employee who was working hand in glove with Democrats in Congress, are egregious examples of the deep state playbook on how to weaponize the Intelligence Community.»
She added that «exposing these tactics and showing how they undermine the fabric of our democratic republic furthers the critical cause of transparency and accountability and will help prevent future abuse of power.»
Democratic lawmakers largely dismissed the disclosures from Gabbard, framing the declassification as an attempt by the DNI to win favor from Trump.
«This is a nothingburger — just another sad attempt by Tulsi Gabbard to get in Donald Trump’s good graces,» Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Politico’s NatSec Daily newsletter.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also criticized the declassification on X.
«Everyone can read the transcript of Trump’s phone call to extort President Zelenskyy for dirt on Biden. That was an impeachable offense, and no amount of dust kicking and sycophancy can obscure it,» Himes wrote. «Had Joe Biden made that call, Republicans would have burned the place down.»
Fox News Digital reached out to House and Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats for additional comment.
congress, cia, investigations, trump impeachment inquiry, tulsi gabbard
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Dem mayor faces reality check after accusing rival of ‘exploiting’ Palisades Fire: ‘Absolute tone deafness’
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing backlash for her response to mayoral candidate and former reality television star Spencer Pratt, who has been attacking L.A. leaders over alleged mismanagement during the deadly Palisades Fire.
Bass accused Pratt of «exploiting» the tragedy, which he faced personally, to score political points. Pratt, however, pushed back and said he won community awards for his support of the Palisades community during the tragedy that resulted in both his and his families’ homes being burnt down. He said he also knew people who burned alive across the street from his childhood home.
«Honestly, before this, I had never heard of Spencer Pratt,» Bass told MeidasTouch as the former reality star’s anti-Bass ads about her mismanagement during the Palisades began gaining traction online. «The thing I am concerned and feel about him is that I feel like he’s exploiting the grief of people in the Palisades and I just think that’s just reprehensible. That’s the main thing and I think he is about his own celebrity — he’s famous now again.»
The questioner during the interview agreed with Bass throughout the talk, but did concede that the fires were something «top of mind» for California voters. Still, Bass was lauded by the questioner for her experience working in public office during such a major disaster, a tenure Pratt is targeting.
SPENCER PRATT ANNOUNCES LA MAYOR RUN ON ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PALISADES FIRE THAT DESTROYED HIS HOME
Mayor Karen Bass appeared to blame the fires and their destruction on climate change during the interview. (Getty )
«For a longtime politician, I am godsmacked by Karen Bass’ absolute tone deafness in attacking a survivor of the Palisades Fire in this way,» Roxanne Hoge, Chairwoman of the L.A. Republican Party, told Fox News Digital.
«All of Los Angeles is grieving the loss of our once-beautiful and prosperous City under Karen Bass’ and Nithya Raman’s leadership the last 4 years. To accuse Spencer Pratt — who lives in his burned-out lot in a trailer — of ‘exploiting grief’ is a new low,» Elizabeth Barcohana, an attorney and political strategist in Los Angeles, added. «It is only thanks to Pratt that we know why Bass was unprepared for the Palisades Fire, why [Gov. Gavin] Newsom chose to save plants instead of the people who burned alive that day, how the FireAid money disappeared into local NGO coffers instead of going to victims, and what our taxpayer funding that is supposed to be used to reduce homelessness is actually being spent on.»
«Mayor Bass calling Spencer Pratt’s campaign ‘reprehensible’ is the kind of tone-deaf political malpractice that explains exactly why Los Angeles is in crisis. Spencer Pratt lost his home. His parents lost their home. He watched his city burn while his mayor was on a plane to Ghana. That’s not exploitation, that’s lived experience, and it’s the most legitimate credential anyone could bring to this race,» former Trump campaign advisor Janiyah Thomas also told Fox News Digital. «Mayor Bass had the audacity to say she’d never heard of Spencer Pratt, but Angelenos have never forgotten that she cut the fire department’s budget and was absent when their homes were turning to ash.»
LA TIMES OWNER BLAMES MAYOR FOR CUTTING FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET AHEAD OF WILDFIRES: ‘COMPETENCE MATTERS’
Meanwhile, Bass said during the MeidasTouch interview that her experience leading the city’s response during the deadly Palisades Fire, in addition to her experience at the federal level in Congress, was exactly why she was a better candidate than Pratt, adding he could use a civics class to understand how government works.
But Bass faced heavy criticism during the fire for being absent, including taking a trip to Ghana as a historic windstorm swept the area ahead of the blaze, for not deploying proper pre-fire resources and enacting around $17.6 million cuts to the city’s fire department ahead of the tragedy.
Bass appeared to blame the fires and their destruction on climate change during the interview, while arguing her experience serving in public office during the disaster is why she should be re-elected.
DEMS BLAME LA FIRE ON ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ DESPITE CITY CUTTING FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET
«These fires, it was the worst natural disaster that we experienced in our city — at the root of it, you know, we have to get adjusted to — just like everybody else in the nation — to different weather experiences that we’re not used to because of climate change,» Bass added during the discussion about Pratt and his attacks on her record. «We don’t know hurricanes — I’m born and raised in Los Angeles — to have hurricane-strength winds and actually no rain is odd anywhere but especially Los Angeles.»
Bass’ office referred Fox News Digital to the mayor’s campaign team, but they did not provide any response in time for publication.
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire while it burns homes at Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
«I’m not sure if Karen Bass forgot she let my house burn down and my parents house burn down and I had actual neighbors burn alive across the street from my childhood home,» Pratt responded on Fox News’ «The Will Cain Show» when asked about Bass’ criticism of him. «The only grief is my grief, my community’s grief that I initially started this fight on behalf of.»
«It’s the most insane, psycho, diabolical thing I’ve heard in a minute – but it’s not shocking,» Pratt added.
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«How the hell is Spencer Pratt ‘exploiting grief’?» Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Sen. John McCain, questioned in a post on X about Bass’ response. «He, his wife, children and parents lost their homes and everything in it in a fire because of Karen Bass and her failed policies.»
«Mayor Bass is in damage control. Bass calling this ‘exploitation’ tells you that she wants sympathy for herself and silence from the actual victims of the fires,» Corrin Rankin, California Republican Party chairwoman, told Fox News Digital. «Californians are tired of Democratic politicians who lack accountability and attack critics. When people lose everything, they have every right to demand answers from the people in charge that failed them.»
politics on late night, gavin newsom, fires disasters, la fires, homeless crisis
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Brote de hantavirus en un crucero: tres pasajeros con síntomas serán evacuados en Países Bajos
El gobierno de Países Bajos confirmó este martes que recibirá a tres pasajeros del crucero MV Hondius que presentan síntomas compatibles con hantavirus, mientras la embarcación, afectada por un brote que ya dejó tres muertos, evalúa retomar su ruta hacia las Islas Canarias una vez completada la evacuación médica.
Según informó en un comunicado la naviera neerlandesa Oceanwide Expeditions, dos de los pacientes requieren atención urgente y serán trasladados junto a una tercera persona considerada contacto estrecho de uno de los fallecidos.
La operación se realizará mediante dos aviones especializados que se dirigen hacia Cabo Verde, donde el barco permanece fondeado en alerta sanitaria.
“Desde allí, los pacientes serán evacuados médicamente a los Países Bajos. Por el momento, no contamos con un cronograma exacto”, precisó la compañía. También confirmó que entre los evacuados hay al menos un ciudadano neerlandés, quien será atendido en su país de origen.
Una vez completado el operativo, el plan de la naviera es reanudar la travesía y dirigirse al archipiélago español de Canarias —con escalas posibles en Gran Canaria o Tenerife— en un viaje estimado de tres días, aunque esa decisión continúa sujeta a negociaciones con autoridades sanitarias internacionales y locales.
En ese contexto, el Ministerio de Sanidad de España confirmó el martes por la tarde que recibirá al MV Hondius en las Islas Canarias “en cumplimiento del derecho internacional y el espíritu humanitario”.
Según detalló en un comunicado, una vez que el buque llegue al archipiélago, equipos médicos examinarán y tratarán a todos los pasajeros y a la tripulación, y coordinarán su posterior traslado a sus países de origen.
“La Organización Mundial de la Salud ha explicado que Cabo Verde no puede realizar esta operación”, señaló el ministerio, que subrayó que las islas son “el lugar más próximo con las capacidades necesarias”. “España tiene una obligación moral y legal de auxiliar a estas personas, entre las que se encuentran además varios ciudadanos españoles”, agregó.
Además, el Gobierno español aceptó la solicitud de Países Bajos para asistir al médico del buque, quien se encuentra en estado grave y será trasladado a Canarias en un avión hospitalizado.
Leé también: El relato de un influencer que viaja en el crucero donde se detectó el brote de hantavirus: “Queremos volver” El crucero MV Hondius permanece frente a Cabo Verde. (Foto: AFP).
El MV Hondius, que había partido desde Ushuaia con destino a Cabo Verde, transporta a 147 personas entre pasajeros y tripulación, de 23 nacionalidades. La embarcación permanece bajo monitoreo tras la detección de casos vinculados al hantavirus que, según la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), afectaron al menos a siete personas, incluyendo dos confirmaciones por laboratorio.
En paralelo, un equipo de epidemiólogos del organismo internacional tenía previsto evaluar el estado sanitario a bordo para definir los próximos pasos, incluyendo eventuales repatriaciones y la viabilidad de continuar la navegación.
Cómo se desató el brote y quiénes son las víctimas
El primer caso fue el de un pasajero de 70 años, que desarrolló síntomas en pleno viaje y murió en el barco el 11 de abril. Su cuerpo fue trasladado a Santa Elena, territorio británico en el Atlántico Sur.
Su esposa, de 69 años, también enfermó durante la travesía: fue evacuada a Sudáfrica, donde murió en un hospital de Johannesburgo. Según fuentes vinculadas al caso, ambos serían oriundos de Países Bajos.
Un ciudadano alemán murió el 2 de mayo y se convirtió en la tercera víctima fatal del brote. Además, un británico de 69 años fue evacuado a Johannesburgo y permanece en cuidados intensivos.
Qué es el hantavirus y cuáles son los síntomas
El hantavirus es una enfermedad grave que se transmite principalmente a través de roedores, en especial por contacto con su orina, heces o saliva.
Los transmisores del hantavirus son los roedores silvestres de la familia Muridae. (Foto: gentileza Conicet)
En la Argentina, el principal transmisor es el ratón colilargo. En el país circulan distintas variantes del virus, y algunas, como el virus Andes, pueden presentar transmisión interpersonal, aunque el mecanismo más común sigue siendo ambiental.
Los síntomas iniciales del hantavirus suelen confundirse con una gripe: fiebre mayor a 38 grados, dolores musculares, cefalea, náuseas, vómitos y malestar general.
En una segunda etapa, la enfermedad puede evolucionar rápidamente hacia un síndrome cardiopulmonar, con dificultad respiratoria y compromiso hemodinámico.
En la Argentina rige una alerta sanitaria desde hace varias semanas por el aumento de casos y fallecimientos por hantavirus. Las autoridades insisten en la importancia de extremar las medidas de prevención, especialmente en regiones donde circula el virus.
(Con información de AFP y EFE)
hantavirus, crucero, España
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