Tulsi Gabbard, the US Director of National Intelligence, has removed the top two officials from the National Intelligence Council, Mike Collins and Maria Langan-Riekhof, due to their opposition to President Trump. Their dismissal followed the release of a memo contradicting the administration’s justification for invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without due process. The memo revealed no coordination between Venezuela’s government and the Tren de Aragua gang, the reasoning cited by the Trump administration for the deportations.

The firings have raised concerns about political influence within the intelligence community, with Congressman Jim Himes expressing unease over the lack of justification for the dismissals. The National Intelligence Council, responsible for combining intelligence from various agencies for comprehensive assessments, plays a crucial role in national security.

Collins, an expert on East Asia, and Langan-Riekhof, with extensive experience in the Middle East, were respected figures in intelligence. Gabbard’s office cited the need to end the politicization of intelligence and eliminate perceived bias and inefficiency within the community as reasons for the firings.

In addition to the personnel changes, Gabbard is centralizing key intelligence operations, transferring offices from the CIA to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to enhance direct control over crucial briefings for the President. Her efforts to reshape the intelligence community include cutting costs, investigating leaks, and addressing the alleged misuse of intelligence for political purposes. Through these actions, Gabbard aims to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the intelligence apparatus under her leadership.