Tulsi Gabbard warns: Weaponized government poses existential threat to democracy

By willowt // 2025-02-25

Mastodon

Parler

Gab

Copy

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warns of the "greater national security risk" posed by the weaponization of government institutions, which erodes public trust and undermines civil liberties.
Gabbard, a former Democratic presidential candidate and combat veteran, highlights her personal experience of being placed on a domestic terror watchlist after criticizing Kamala Harris during the 2020 primary.
She critiques the Democratic Party's radical shift and departure from its core principles, citing the party's quick pivot to focus on defeating Donald Trump as a betrayal.
Gabbard emphasizes the need to balance physical security threats with the preservation of freedom and civil liberties as Director of National Intelligence.
Her appointment marks an effort to depoliticize America's intelligence community and restore trust in government institutions, addressing the broader concerns of government overreach and partisan targeting.

In a stark and sobering warning, newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has declared that the weaponization of government institutions under the Biden administration has created a “greater national security risk” by eroding public trust and undermining civil liberties. Speaking on the premiere episode of Lara Trump’s show My View, Gabbard, a former Democratic presidential candidate and combat veteran, outlined her vision for restoring balance between national security and constitutional freedoms while addressing the dangers of politicized governance. Her remarks come at a pivotal moment in American history, as concerns over government overreach and partisan targeting have reached a fever pitch. Gabbard’s unique perspective—as a former Democrat who left the party over its radical shift—adds weight to her critique and underscores the urgency of her mission to depoliticize America’s intelligence community.

Personal experience with political retribution

Gabbard’s warnings are not merely theoretical; they are rooted in her own experience with government weaponization. She revealed that shortly after criticizing then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2020 Democratic primary, she was placed on a domestic terror watchlist known as Quiet Skies. “There’s a long story I can tell you there about what that entailed with surveillance and federal air marshals being tasked with an active targeting package,” Gabbard said. “These institutions that exist to ensure the safety, security and freedom of the American people being weaponized against the American people actually creates a greater national security risk when we, the American people, cannot trust those who have the responsibility to keep us safe.” This chilling account highlights a broader trend of government agencies being used as tools for political retribution—a practice that Gabbard argues undermines the very foundations of democracy. “For too long, as you know, we’ve seen people in positions of great power tell us that, ‘well, if we just violate your civil liberties and freedom a little bit, it’s okay because we’re trying to keep you safe,’” she said. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen this for decades. And the more our freedoms are eroded, the more the foundations of our democracy are eroded.”

Democratic Party’s radical shift

Gabbard’s journey from Democratic presidential candidate to Director of National Intelligence in a Trump administration is a testament to her disillusionment with her former party. She described the Democratic Party’s leftward lurch as a betrayal of its core principles, particularly in the aftermath of President Trump’s 2016 victory. “I go back to 2016 when President Trump was elected, and how very quickly the Democrat Party leadership, the party I once joined, that fought for free speech, that stood up for civil liberties, the party that had many voices who called for peace instead of war, they very quickly flipped the script because now all they cared about was defeating Donald Trump and silencing those who supported him,” Gabbard said. This shift, she argued, has left the party unrecognizable from the one she joined over two decades ago. “The erosion, the shift in the Democrat Party ultimately made it so that I had to leave. It was completely unrecognizable from the party that I had joined over 20 years before,” she added. Gabbard’s critique echoes broader conservative concerns about the Democratic Party’s embrace of progressive policies and its willingness to weaponize government institutions to achieve political ends. Her decision to join the Trump administration as DNI underscores her commitment to reversing this trend and restoring trust in America’s intelligence agencies.

Restoring trust and balancing security with liberty

As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard oversees America’s 18 intelligence agencies—a monumental task that will test her ability to depoliticize national security efforts while safeguarding civil liberties. She emphasized the need to balance physical security threats with the preservation of freedom, a principle she believes has been neglected for too long. “A lot of people talk about national security or security threats, but there’s two components of that that leaders have to really uphold,” Gabbard explained. “Yes, there’s such a thing as threats to physical security, but the threat to our freedom and our liberty must be balanced right alongside that threat to our physical security.” Her commitment to this balance is already evident in her early actions as DNI. Gabbard revealed that eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within her agency has saved American taxpayers roughly $1 million—a move she described as a step toward restoring fiscal responsibility and focus on core missions.

Call to action for the future

Gabbard’s appointment as DNI marks a turning point in the fight against government weaponization. Her warnings about the dangers of politicized governance and her pledge to restore trust in America’s institutions resonate deeply in a nation grappling with polarization and distrust. “That I will have made an impact on rebuilding the trust that the American people deserve to have in these institutions that exist to serve the people,” Gabbard said when asked about her legacy. “There are a lot of great Americans bringing that focus back. As Director of National Intelligence, that is the heart of the impact that I hope to be able to make.” Her message is clear: the weaponization of government is not just a threat to individual freedoms—it is an existential threat to democracy itself. As Gabbard works to depoliticize America’s intelligence community, her efforts serve as a reminder that the preservation of liberty and security must go hand in hand. In an era defined by division and distrust, Tulsi Gabbard’s leadership offers a glimmer of hope for a nation in desperate need of unity and accountability. Sources include: YourNews.com YouTube.com AmericaFirstPolicy.com