Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is making sweeping changes within the intelligence community, cracking down on corruption and misconduct. In response to CIA agents reportedly threatening to sell state secrets and a separate scandal involving intelligence employees engaged in explicit chats while on the clock, Gabbard has vowed to remove those undermining national security and taxpayer trust.

Appearing on Fox News, Gabbard addressed reports that some CIA agents, upset with the Trump administration’s reforms, have hinted at leaking classified information as retaliation. She accused them of using CNN as a “propaganda arm” to push their narrative. “They’re exposing themselves essentially by making this indirect threat using their propaganda arm through CNN,” she said. “Their loyalty is not at all to America.”

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Gabbard emphasized that removing these officials is necessary to protect national security and refocus intelligence agencies on their core mission. She stated that her firm response has already led to more insiders stepping forward with critical information, aiding the effort to clean house.

In addition to addressing these threats, Gabbard is also overseeing the termination of more than 100 intelligence employees found participating in explicit chats on government servers. These discussions, held on Intelink — a secure intranet operated by the National Security Agency — took place in chatrooms labeled “LBTQA” and “IC_Pride_TWG.” Gabbard called the situation an egregious misuse of taxpayer-funded resources.

“This behavior is unacceptable and those involved WILL be held accountable,” Gabbard posted on X. The chat groups were immediately shut down following President Donald Trump’s executive order eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the federal government. Gabbard condemned these DEI programs as “insanity the Biden Admin was obsessed with” and reaffirmed that intelligence agencies must focus on protecting the American people.

Deputy Chief of Staff Alexa Henning confirmed that Gabbard issued a directive to all intelligence agencies to identify those involved in these explicit chats and revoke their security clearances by Friday. “The DNI sent a memo directing all intelligence agencies to identify the employees who participated in the NSA’s ‘obscene, pornographic, and sexually explicit’ chatrooms and to terminate their employment,” Henning stated on X.

The CIA, already under scrutiny, is reportedly planning its most significant personnel overhaul in nearly 50 years, targeting those involved in DEI initiatives. The agency previously dismissed nearly 200 officers in 1977, marking the last major shakeup of this scale. The Trump administration has also authorized a severance package — equivalent to eight months’ salary and benefits — to encourage voluntary departures from those unwilling to align with the administration’s policies.

Gabbard made it clear that this is only the beginning of a much larger effort to purge corruption from the intelligence community. “Today’s action in holding these individuals accountable is just the beginning of what we’re seeing across the Trump administration,” she said. “Clean house, root out that rot and corruption… so we can start to rebuild that trust in these institutions that are charged with an important mission of serving the American people, ensuring our safety, security and freedom.”