US spy chief fires officials, citing explicit transgender chat

Natalia Drozdiak, Bloomberg News on Feb 26, 2025

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is moving to fire more than 100 intelligence officers who used a secret chatroom on a National Security Agency platform to exchange views about their transgender experiences, including at times sending sexually explicit messages.

Gabbard sent a memo Tuesday directing all intelligence agencies to identify the employees who participated in the NSA chatroom, terminate their employment and revoke their security clearances by Friday, a spokeswoman for the Office of Director of National Intelligence said.

The news of the chatroom was reported in City Journal by conservative activist Christopher Rufo and reporter Hannah Grossman. They obtained logs from the NSA chatroom in which officials from various agencies appear to be discussing transgender issues across sexual, medical and lifestyle lines.

The action coincides with a Trump administration campaign to wipe out transgender and diversity initiatives across all government agencies. At the Central Intelligence Agency, that broader effort has resulted in more than 50 officers involved in diversity programs being asked to resign or have their employment terminated.

The National Security Agency said in a post on X it is “aware of posts that appear to show inappropriate discussions by intelligence community personnel,” adding that “potential misuse of these platforms by a small group of individuals does not represent the community. Investigations to address this misuse of government systems are ongoing.”

Gabbard told Fox News late Tuesday that the plan to fire the employees was part of the mandate from President Donald Trump to “clean house, root out that rot and corruption and weaponization and politicization so we can start to rebuild that trust in these institutions.”

As a result of the crackdown, Gabbard said in the Fox interview that officials were stepping forward with other examples of wrongdoing. “People are stepping forward because they’re all on board with the mission to clean house,” she said.

Gabbard, who was confirmed as the director of national intelligence earlier in February, has previously accused the 18 intelligence agencies she now oversees of politicizing and weaponizing intelligence, including against Trump, echoing fellow appointee and loyalist Kash Patel, who has been confirmed picked to run the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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