In this position Tulsi Gabbard will be able to find out why she was put on the DHS “watch list” within the TSA. Additionally, I note that all of the nominations and appointments have come from within the group of campaign surrogates and campaign officials. Perhaps that filter disqualifies anyone else.
President Trump Announces his nomination of former Democrat Representative, former DNC Co-Chair, and former Bernie Sanders campaign spox, Tulsi Gabbard, to be Director of National Intelligence.
[Source]
I’m sorry folks, we are going to have to wait to understand the thinking behind this one. I have absolutely no idea. Mrs Gabbard has never led any organization of scale, nor held any position of intelligence review that I am aware of.
Other than being a campaign surrogate (via RFK Jr) and very close friend of Tucker Carlson, who I’m told is one of a small group organizing the cabinet appointments; together with Donald Trump Jr, Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk and Robert F Kennedy Jr. (currently living in Mar-a-Lago); I’m not sure what would be the plan for Tulsi Gabbard (maybe with guidance from Ric Grenell?). Like everyone else, I’m puzzled.
I read every sentence of that announcement carefully. I don’t see mention of a skillset attributable to IC organization or large institutional leadership. However, maybe it is Tulsi Gabbard’s inherent sense toward protecting constitutional freedom that is of great value. Gabbard does express a solid strain of Rand Paul type libertarianism.
I am aware that everyone associated with the intelligence position decision-making on the transition team believes the Intelligence Community (IC) is a worthy, important and valuable construct, unfortunately led by corrupt individuals. Newly appointed National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is one of many who hold this opinion.
The transition team earnestly believe the honorable IC ‘rank and file’ paradigm; a type of thinking/wish-casting that I dropped many years ago. As a consequence, perhaps they believe that changing the faceplates will stop the silo engineers from using the weapons within it. Frankly, I’m just not sure.
From a distance Tulsi Gabbard seems like a nice person, and I’m told she is very differential to consensus amid group settings.
Perhaps as the hub of the 17 agency intelligence silos, DNI Tulsi Gabbard will be able to organize a less harmful end result from the intelligence community.
Perhaps going in with a singular goal of changing the way information is classified would be enough sunlight to change the system, I just don’t know. I don’t even know if that’s their goal. Mrs. Tulsi Gabbard was not on my bingo card for possible ODNI candidates.
I will watch the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) confirmation hearing with great interest.
I want everyone to be successful, including ‘We the People.’
The ODNI was created as an outcome of the 9-11 Commission recommendations. In the era shortly after 9/11, the DC national security apparatus was constructed to preserve continuity of government and simultaneously view all Americans as potential threats.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) were created specifically for this purpose.
Washington DC created the modern national security apparatus immediately and hurriedly after 9/11/01. DHS came along in 2002, and within the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 the ODNI was formed.
When Barack Obama and Eric Holder arrived a few years later, those newly formed institutions were viewed as opportunities to create a very specific national security apparatus that would focus almost exclusively against their political opposition.
Here is the weird part. The ODNI was formed in 2004, with the intent for the office to be the pivot point of a national security radar. The DNI was intended to provide information to domestic agencies about foreign terror networks that would prevent something like 9-11 from happening again. However, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has never, not for one day, operated on this intent. This is why they are such a critical position from my perspective.
The office was new, not established yet as a functioning silo, when Barack Obama and Eric Holder arrived in 2009. They quickly dispatched an idiot, James Clapper, into the operation so they could weaponize around the offices’ fulcrum point, the intelligence hub.
Prior to the DNI office existing, the CIA radar would sweep externally and then report to the Office of the President. The DNI was intended to take external radar sweep (CIA) and make it a full 360° circle, adding a sweep inside the USA that would be handled by the Dept of Homeland Security.
The DHS sweep and the CIA sweep would then be combined into a central collection hub called the ODNI. Everyone with responsibility for “national security” could access the ODNI material. Essentially and presumably, post 9-11 nothing like jihadists practicing flying airplanes would be missed again; at least that was the intent.
The weird part is that because the DNI was immediately weaponized, the office has never functioned to the purpose of its intent. No one truly knows what the office possibilities consist of because no one has ever seen anyone try to functionally control the hub.
the DNI office has never been used for good. In a strategic way, that could be used to our advantage if you are talking about leveraging silos against each other.
Example: The DNI can assemble material from any silo. Meaning the DNI can reach into any IC silo and extract anything they want. Under the original authorities given to the DNI, this authority exists. So, let’s spread the wings on this office and do exactly what it is permitted to do, only this time extract for the purpose of showing the President what is happening in every silo.
In essence, the DNI *CAN BE* deployed like a super strong cross-silo inspector general’s office. Force the other IC silos to comply with the demands of the DNI. This has never been done. But the DNI has this unique power.
The DNI can make the FBI, DOJ, DOJ-NSD, DoD, DoS and CIA provide anything and everything they demand. Instead of the other silos using blocks and threats against the office of the President, use the authority of the DNI to get them without confrontation. Then use the DNI to declassify the documents (if requested by potus), instead of the originating silo.
Can you see how the DNI office can be repurposed to be a seriously strong weapon in the toolbox of the President, against the schemes of those inside the various IC silos. The DNI becomes much more important than the CIA Director, NSA Director, FBI Director, Attorney General, etc, because the DNI can just show up and say, “give me this.” That’s the whole functional purpose of the DNI office that has never been exerted; let’s flippin’ use it.
Let’s use the office of the DNI as the central information hub that takes information from inside the corrupt silos, then provides that information to the President who puts sunlight upon it. Each corrupt silo penetrated with disinfectant. This could begin a process to pull down the shadow operations and let the American public see what has been happening inside our IC apparatus.
To accomplish this approach the National Security Advisor to the President (NSA), in this scenario, Mike Waltz, would be the person who tells the DNI exactly what they are looking for.
How does NSA Mike Waltz know what to look for? Because the National Security Advisor is the head of the National Security Council (NSC).
Now you see why I say put the strategic and scruffy people like Mike Flynn, Kash Patel, etc in a stripped down NSC.
Let the NSC monitor the silos with specific intent, then provide Trump’s NatSec Advisor Mike Waltz with details on what appears to be happening and where. With the approval of the President, the NSA Waltz then turns to DNI Gabbard and says, “POTUS wants this, go get this.”
Raw, unfiltered, unredacted information. The silo administrators end up in a fight with the DNI Gabbard, not the office of President Trump. President Trump then uses the power of his office to support the demands of DNI Gabbard.
Under this approach the DNI has a lot more power; yet funnily, it’s power they already have – yet have never utilized.
Unfortunately, the DNI needs to be confirmed by the Senate Intelligence Committee – so, this factors into who can achieve the position.
Qualifications for leading an organizatin — Lieutenant Colonel in the Army
That describes Allen West, too…
DNI or Deputy must be currently serving officer. She is, he’s not.
Gabbard has no attack vectors, West has many.
I like West but he would be a difficult confirmation, Garrard will not.
That is a demonstrably false statement that the DNI must be a current serving officer. It is not even required to have been a member of the military.
The current DNI Avril Haines has never served a day in her life, and IIRC, neither did Grenell nor Negroponte.
“Desired” not required.
50 U.S.C. § 3026, “under ordinary circumstances, it is desirable” that either the director or the principal deputy director of national intelligence be an active-duty commissioned officer in the armed forces or have training or experience in military intelligence activities and requirements. Only one of the two positions can be held by a military officer at any given time. The statute does not specify what rank the commissioned officer will hold during their tenure in either position.
Thank you for the correction. I said “must” and should have said “desired.
It remains that West does not meet either of the “desired” qualifications.
Gabbard does, West doesn’t.
Gabbard has no attack vectors, West has many.
I like West but he would be a difficult confirmation, Gabbard will not.
True, but West has proven that he will cut and run from things that might hinder his own political career.
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As a weekend warrior? Not sure how she rose to this, also managing to switch out MOS repeatedly. She goes from medical corps to spec ops? There is something re Tulsi Gabbard that we don’t know. She IS in psy-ops in spec ops. Maybe there is a talent that’s been kept on the down-low?
I am suspecting that “the focus” in the immediate first months or year is not going to be on reforming IC but just keeping them at bay while concentrating on deportation of illegals, cutting chaff in personnel elsewhere, cutting regulations, and building the economy.
Because, frankly a few of these positions appear to be almost politically-motivated give-aways. I am also not seeing an overwhelmingly conservative group here.
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If we can figure out what got her on the TSA Terror watch list, we can probably figure out why Trump chose her. They must be related. She sees harmless looking at her as an outsider bc she doesn’t have influence with democrats. I don’t get this pick either other than being a return for switching parties to endorse Trump. That seems like a outsized return for what she gave Trump
I agree, much bigger gift to Tulsi than her endorsement deserves. I don’t think she attracted THAT many votes. Someone suggested she head Veteran’s Affairs, I thought that would be a good position for her.
She did not attract voters. There must be another reason.
How can she keep them at bay if she has no tools to use to identify their operatives and their tactics?
Trump is putting a premium on character over experience.
That’s the way he’s going about it this time.
He’s got faith that they can cowboy up and learn on the fly like he does.
Yep. I believe this is the explanation.
Here’s one I’d love to see though — Flynn. Oh, how the heads would explode.
In fact, forget positions requiring confirmation and put Flynn in the room with Elon and Vivek (bringing his experience and perspective to the task) and I go from being fairly luke warm on “DOGE” to thinking this might be a dog that hunts.
Sundance thinks Flynn is dumb. Flynn seems like he’s working on the outside in some capacity like Bannon.
I don’t recall Sundance ever say Flynn was ‘dumb.’ He does have concerns about Flynn having worked as an agent for foreign governments and not disclosing it before accepting the NSA appointment in the first term.
And I do too.
I disagree.
I think a trap has been laid for the DS and that more or less a swift and brutal decapitation is what’s coming.
Just my overall sense of how things are moving.
That’s Gaetz for AG
sundance for AG
I’m sorry, I want to understand your comment but I don’t know what “DS” is.
Deep State
There is nothing suspicious at all.
She enlisted and served in a medical unit as an enlisted person.
She then went on to become an officer and served in a special ‘troops’ (not spec ops at time) in a combat unit in the MPs.
As she rose in rank, she was reassigned to a lead a Civil Affairs unit, which in modern times has been combined with psyops in a unified command structure.
Officers often serve in command or staff positions in branches other than their own as managers, whereas enlisted stay in their fields until E8 or E9, command and advise roles.
If you ever served, particularly in one of these units, you would know and understand there is nothing untowards about it.
My PSYOPS unit back in the day had a E8 from Special Forces, a company commander from the infantry branch, a battalion commander from the intelligence branch.
There were only about 3 officers that were actually from the PSYOPS branch as it was undesired by officers due to its careee limitations to senior ranks later on.
JMO but enlisting first and then going on to earn a Commission as an Officer gives the person a unique perspective on serving in any Unit in the Military in general.
You kind of start out on the very bottom of an organization where everyone can order you around and if you are a decent person you remember to treat others with respect as you climb the ladder.
Officers who were prior enlisted were always well respected by most officers and all enlisted, particularly the enlisted.
Some officers looked down their noses on them.
In my 12.5 years of service, we always respected the prior enlisted officers who earned their commission. They had perspective, whereas ring knockers came in, acted like they knew it all, and in most cases, screwed things up. The enlisted then came in and cleaned up the mess.
The ring knocker who screwed things up then gets promoted along the lines of the Peter Principle.
I was in line to obtain commissioning before discharging; I was waiting on some paperwork from an O-6 who deployed before he got it turned into my command. They wanted me to re-enlist in order to wait for it to arrive. BWHAHAHAHAHA that works on newbies, not on a 12-year enlisted.
I am glad I got out. I share this to further highlight BK’s point about serving in different roles—I was a nuclear Machinist Mate but was going to be commissioned in the Navy’s flight program, with an option to move to the Air Force after serving 4 years (all dependant on performance and whether or not I wanted to pursue Flag in the Navy or Staff in the Air Force).
The powers at the time pushed me to consider the staff crossover path once I got flight experience due to my enlisted background in nuclear operations.
I am, again, sharing personal anecdotes to provide meat to BK’s point.
Tulsi publicly and methodically “stripped the bark off” of the hag and camel-a. If she brings that same level of skill to the DNI role, she will do great things for our republic.
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Officers often serve in command or staff positions in branches other than their own as managers
They do? Or is this a thing in the reserves? Or National Guard? Or way back in the day in Vietnam?
Special operations in the active army includes civil affairs, special forces and psyops. One doesn’t just get “reassigned”, plopped into leadership of a civil affairs unit from somewhere else. Gabbard was military police.
My entire family is military and my kids all commissioned officers. Only one of us ever switched MOS and it was a bfd to go as an officer from aviation to spec ops. The nuclear SWO, e.g. isn’t going to suddenly be designated to captain a submarine…
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What part did you not understand about my experience in my unit.
You actually missed some of it. Psyops, Civil Affairs, Special Forces, Task Force 160 (or its replacement air unit), Rangers and Delta are all under special forces command.
Officers in Rangers typically come from the infantry branch but have earned the Ranger tab.. Officers in Special Forces come from special forces, intel, infantry, and aviation branches but must be Q qualified.
Psyops and Civil Affairs officers come from a variety of officer branches as I already explained above.
My MOS was in intel, but I served in psyops. My same MO is dispersed in intel units and infantry units. It’s not that big of deal.
I personally served TDY with a spec forces major who was out of aviation.
Officers are managers, not specialists.
In Tulsi’s case, she served in a NG unit with the MPs, and then transferred to a Reserve unit for her current assignment.
Maybe she was offered the position. It is not common, but it is not rare or unheard of.
NG – combat units
Reserves – support units
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She was an MP. What kind of unit or base a police officer serves in isn’t relevant. They don’t magically transform into infantry, signal, special operations or whatever else kind of officers because they’re MPs alongside them.
As far as being offered a management position when she ascended to LTC (which was out of Ft. Bragg in the area of psyops) — without an apparent shred of training or experience in that area overseeing active military — well I find that… “very unusual”. Why there, versus something in her ostensible area of “expertise”. Unless she wasn’t MP but acftually IC. That was the gist of my comment, and I’m not sure why sometimes you seem to just want to argue.
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Outhouse, I shared my story above- it’s not unusual. I was an enlisted nuclear machinist mate who passed my flight exams (i.e., officer exams to be considered for the pilot program) and was waiting on some final paperwork to go to OCS.
The discussion with my command revolved around my path as an officer once I passed flight school and gained flight time and experience. It revolved around staying a Navy pilot and continuing down the staff path to becoming a carrier captain candidate (must have both pilot and nuclear backgrounds) or moving to the Air Force to pursue Flag positions. My command at the time pushed me to consider the Flag route, albeit 1-12 years down the road- decisions in that time would either promote or hinder either path.
🎯
She graduated from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the top of her class, the first woman ever to do so, and 2 years before she earned her Bachelor’s degree. Enlisted w/o degrees don’t normally get into OCS programs without having stellar performance records.
Everything we know about her points to her excelling in whatever she attempts.
Except she’s a communist.
Be specific here please.
Sigh.
She entered and served as an enlisted, went to OCS, was commissioned, and got her degree. Nothing strange about the change in career path.
I’m not sure whether you are being sarcastic or not. However, people need to step back from their snobbery about army qualifications. They are not all “Colonel Blimps” as the Brits say.
Most armies have stringent training and study requirements as people advance up the ranks. The Russian Army for instance, consists of many talented and highly trained officers who are constantly being retrained as new warfare techniques are developed.
Gabbard is a Lt. Colonel. Not to be sneezed at.
As such she is highly trained in many areas including leading large units.
“snobbery about army qualifications.” LOL! So true.
bunch of oddballs … hopefully it works. I actually thought she would be more fit for the VA Dept. *shrugs*
Agreed
I think it was your comment I saw yesterday making that suggestion. I thought it was a good suggestion.
She bailed on VA hearings to go surfboarding. Just saying. It was a long time ago and people change, or not. Sometimes they just become better actors. For some reason I have a feeling that she would think offering her the VA would be a snub. Don’t know why I think that, but I do.
Agreed
I look at this team as the first wave. It’s like the team a private investor group sends in first after they buy a company that they think is ripe for restructuring and cost savings. They are the axe men, with no emotional attachment to the business. Their job is to identify the people and assets that deliver genuine value and to cut everything else. Most of them will probably be gone in a year or less. Hopefully after a job well done.
Tulsi Gabbard is very smooth on camera, a great spokesperson for President Trump. I have a feeling Elon and Vivek will recommend this position, DNI, be eliminated. It was created as a response to 9-11 that was never really needed, according to some, who debate if the staff of 1600 really do coordinate intelligence between the agencies or not. If LIFO (last in first out) holds, then ODNI could be a target for cuts, whenever they come. This was Clapper’s position, something many cannot get out of memory.
^ I’d prefer the elimination of D.H.S.! If we’re talking about dismantling agencies that further encroach upon Americans inalienable right not to live under surveillance and totalitarian overreach by the Fed government.
The Fourth Reich hates it when you mess with their vision of ze “homeland”.
“Fourth Reich” indeed!
One Party (big D)
One Truth (MSM spewed, deep state approved ‘narrative’)
One Reich!
Dead as Marcuse.
I talked about eliminating DHS during Butler, and putting all the agencies back whence they came. Noem in there is critical to exposing the manifest corruption.
Patriot Act. DHS is a joke, spider web of massive layers.
I also think this position will be eliminated —eventually. I’m a fan of Tulsi Gabbard. She took great risks by going against the grain of her own party and the establishment. I think she is a patriot.
Tulsi stood up to Hillary who declared Tulsi was a Russian asset
I hope you are right.
The ODNI position is the one that SD showcased as the position that was never implemented as intended post 9/11. IIRC under Bush the first one in the role never really rolled it out. Under Obama, the role was re-imagined to fit into Obama and Holder’s weaponization plans. So, it would seem plausible that this role has been identified for the chopping block.
On the other hand, Tulsi would be the first person to implement it as intended.
I would prefer if she had a mentor like Grenell who worked in the acting ODNI role for guidance. Perhaps that is the plan. We need to see how this unfolds. I did see an interview a few months ago that Grenell lived in Los Angeles,loved it and was not excited about working in DC again although he would do so if POTUS Trump requested it.
She’s anti war, she’s anti establishment, she’ll be feeding the info to Trump that shapes his Foreign Policy agenda. She’s been with him for quite some time now. With her I don’t see getting a WMD lie that locks us into a war for 20 years.
Yeah, with him for sometime but only endorsed him in August after other new alliances were put in place around President Trump.
My concern is that all of the Ziocuck Israel-first warhaws surrounding Trump will persuade him to get us into a war with Iran. Israel’s leadership, and Netanyahu in particular, are so eager to get us to do their bidding in Iran, they can taste it.
Trump is highly likely to slap down Iran. If Iran were to be allowed to pump and sell oil, the price would crater, and they don’t like that, but China, and Russia have also sworn to protect Iran. BRICS is inevitable, unless there is war.
I want to see the rest of the world left alone, and peaceful trade.
People really need to watch this
She’s been with him for quite some time now. Months?
My instinct is to trust this pick, because I think Tulsi Gabbard has the intelligence and integrity to succeed. I like this choice a whole, WHOLE lot more than I like Little Marco as SoS.
Little Marco has presidential ambitions and i don’t think he’s as ideologically neocon as Pompeo or cotton or Nikki. If he has presidential ambitions getting fired would be career ending. he’ll tow the line or he’ll be fired
The phrase is TOE the line. Apparently you need to pull a stint in the military to know this. In basic training, there is an assembly room with two parallel lines that form squares. When you heard the drill yell, “TOE THE LINE” you rushed to the room and placed the front of your foot on the line in your assigned place
You literally toed .. the line. I swear this is true.
Rocky Burnette got tired of toein’ the line.
Indeed he did! I LOVE that song! 👍
^ A rockin’ ‘lil number worthy of the family name.
With Gaetz at DOJ and Gabbard at ODNI, I think little Marco will be diminished as SoS and Ratcliffe (who seems to have the right instincts) will be emboldened at CIA.
I believe – though not sure – that Gaetz as AG puts him in a position of some authority over NSD. Can he eliminate the policy that they don’t answer to congress, or to anyone really? If so …… there are lawyers all over DC booking their flights. Imagine how bringing NSD back under regular order will interrupt the surveillance/lawfare state.
If the IC in DC can’t legally do the electronic surveillance, they have 4 other “eyes” they can ask to do it! The Patriot Act enabling the NSA and FISC corruption is the genesis of the problem.
What I think needs to happen is to challenge parts of the Patriot act at the Supreme Court. Our 4th amend rights do not exist under this horrendous law meant to supposedly protect us. And that is only for starters. FISA court irregularities and IG reports turning blind eyes to the law have all been weaponized against We the People.
Have studied this matter under the guidance and superior intellect of SD right here in the Tree. Gaetz needs to push taking apart the Patriot act legally thereby neutering the IC. One can have hope! 🙏🏽❤️
Gaetz is a political show boater who had nothing to lose in taking on McCarthy.
Not sure how that translates into being an effective AG.
Personally, I like her – she has seen war and she understands what it means to send young men and women to fight in it! For every dozen Kamalas, who have gotten where they are through “favors” or playing the “victim” card, there is ONE woman who worked their butt off, asked for no quarter, and DID THE JOB! This, IMHO, is who should be put into positions of authority because they have a humility and a tenacity – she is clearly not a creature of the Swamp and I think she will immediately dig in and start rooting out anything that does not pass the sniff test. And, above all else, she has show that she is loyal to President Trump and his vision so she will be absolutely honest with him, which, sadly, is a rare quality in DC!
Very well said.
Share your view. She is a skeptic. Exactly the thought process needed herein. She has been rigourously anti-war. Has an ingoing willingness to question the perpetual war narrative. Does not knuckle to the self identified “experts.”
Was with a friend when we heard of this, and both of us cheered loudly, and independent of each other.
I pray that you are right. 🙏❤️🇺🇲
Often battlefield surviviors are the most ardent anti-war folks. You never want anyone to see that, but if you have to go back, it is a cold decision. I trust her.
and I think she and RFK, and Musk, firmed up a fair amount of soft support for Trump.
The DNI or their Deputy must by law be currently serving in the military. She is a Lt Col and Battalion Commander in the Army Reserve.
The DNI provides the Presidential Daily Brief. Trump made it a cabinet position so is intimately familiar with who/what he wants in that role.
If she can command a battalion, what more do you need as proof of her management skills?
The DNI is an IC information synthesizer, not a manager per se. She has few direct reports in that role.
I’m of the opinion that her lack of IC experience is a positive. No one owns her there and that’s a good thing.
Wish I could say the same for his choice of Nat Security Advisor.
Let’s see where she is in a year.
I’m gearing more to what you are saying. She isn’t owned by anyone. I do like that. She is also a strong woman. Hear that Mark Cuban!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
False statement spoken as fact.
The DNI does not have to be a serving officer. The position does not even require former military service.
It is “desired” not required.
See Avril Haines, John Negroponte and Ric Grenell.
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She -IS- “IC”. She doesn’t lead a battalion of combat troops. Somehow when she made LTC, she “re-stationed” to Ft. Bragg aka Liberty into psy-ops.
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So, if President Trump is currently C in C, and she is currently serving, and if Smith-Mundsen was repealed, then in some way her very visible current role is best understood as an active duty psy ops assignment?
In fact . ..
Waltz, Hegseth . . . who else am I missing?
She is not IC.
She did not ‘re-station’ to Ft Bragg.
Active duty PSYOPS and Civil Affairs are based at Ft Bragg (Liberty).
She accepted a command spot after being promoted to LTC in a RESERVE Civil Affairs unit in California.
There is nothing suspicious about making LTC in the 15-20 year mark as an officer.
You don’t have to be in nor have been in a ‘combat’ unit to make LTC, to make general, probably.
It is quite clear you’ve never served in the US military and are simply reading bits and pieces of wiki and making wild speculative claims.
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You are arguing with things I haven’t said, e.g. combat unit. At the time she was promoted to LTC it was in psyops, not civil affairs, and was Fort Bragg. I now see what wiki says re California.
Apologies if I’ve inadvertently insulted you with my weekend warrior comment, which I’m assuming is what has got your shackles up.
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She’ll be in the job and won’t put up with BS.
I think the SSCI Democrats will be primed with questions for the hearing that will make her look uninformed and inexperienced. Trump had better run her through some “murder boards” beforehand.
Murder boards are what the dry runs for SCOTUS nominees are called. The nominee is grilled as hard as possible with any questions the administration thinks might come up. Bush43 withdrew Harriet Miers from consideration for SCOTUS after she couldn’t answer questions on major SCOTUS rulings and landmark opinions. She never made it to the confirmation hearing.
I expect Trump’s nominees will all get this from the Dems, which is why the nominees should have some background knowledge of the department they will run, its basic organization, and any major opinions/actions taken over the last several decades.
I wonder if she has more than a smidgen of some highly classified and very valuable experience that very few people know of.
You mean aside from being a Cabal asset?
I believe she had a come to Jesus moment over the course of the last few years and the icing on the cake was finding out that Hillary had placed her on a TSA “Black” flight list. Will be interesting to see if she publicly outs those responsible for this or quietly has all of them under very high scrutiny and indictments are issued or civil suits filed for defamation or fraud. Nice to see you DMF.
Sundance, I’m fine with your being “puzzled” (I’m betting that’s only temporary).
That one took me a bit by surprise too, having twice read your previous recommendation article about the ODNI.
I also sense that the task of getting her nomination past Thune and the Decepticons is a very large hurdle, unless a “deal” has been arranged, which itself causes mild concern.
Maybe she is there to close it down?
You might be the poster of the night with that comment Kitty. 🎯😎❤️
Bookmark all of Sundance’s articles about this “transition”. I think we have a problem…
Maybe President Trump being denied office in 2020 is working out for the best.
4 years of Democrats exposing their extreme leftist policies.
4 years of planning for this Swamp Draining project.
It’s going to be a very exciting Presidency.
Hopefully it is exciting for what he gets done and not exciting for what he has to fight Congress over.
“Perhaps as the hub of the 17 agency intelligence silos, DNI Tulsi Gabbard will be able to organize a less harmful end result from the intelligence community.”
Maybe those 17 agencies will be manageable after Elon & Vivek via D.O.G.E. Cut them down to a manageable and rather meek size, including eliminating some.
This is a possibility. It will be interesting to see who all starts squealing when the axes start falling.
BTW, Schiff is broadcasting a call to arms over Gaetz, and Elon Musk’s response to Schiff is that the Hammer of Justice is coming.
If Elon teases the Hammer of Justice any harder we are going to have to rename him Elon Rose Lee.
Oh.
Connecting some dots:
Elon going on a Twitter rampage about the Hammer of Justice. . .
Santa holding a hammer in the picture over the hearth in the Trump Gingerbread Express.
A blazing fire with an evergreen garland over the mantel at the White House Trump and Biden photo op today.
. . .
Possible conclusion:
Christmas is coming early.
The fire is already lit and the garland is upon the mantel.
We just need Santa to show up, hammer in hand.
Do I hear the jingle of sleigh bells in the distance?
Ho ho ho! 🎅🏼
Maybe she’s just a place holder.
Or maybe she will redirect the DNI back to its original stated purposes.Especially since the last two democrat administrations have invited in so many actual terrorists to our country . It’s ready made to deal with that lurking issue
In the right hands it could do a lot of good.
Let us not forget, Tulsi has also been a member of congress. Her role there and her military role as Lt. Colonel will mean she has a reasonably high security clearance.
Knowing secrets will not be new to her.
Strip everyone of their security clearance unless they need to have one for their current present job. It is infuriating the number of people that still have one.
Interesting that SD mentions a “libertarian” streak in her, when what I see with Tulsi is what used to be called a “blue dog” Democrat – believes in a strong national security stance with a side of liberalism on the social issues. While not, perhaps, an ideal pick there could be two possibilities for it.
Possibility 1: The Trump transition team – and Trump himself – aren’t aware of how powerful the position could be and so moved Tulsi in there in return for her help on the campaign trail. After all, since the creation of the office, no one of any consequence has occupied it yet the position carries the air of prestige with it.
Possibility 2: Even if the team isn’t aware, perhaps Tulsi is. She may have asked for it for, at the very least, the reason SD opens his critique with; find out how and why she got black balled. The woman strikes me as someone who does her homework. She also comes to the position with an ax to grind.
The main point here is that no one has used this office in any effective way since it has been formed. It might be a missed opportunity, it might not be. I didn’t expect every one of Trump’s picks to be home runs. I’d put him at about an 80% or better rate to this point. Much better than his first time around.
The ODNI is a structural piling-atop, a Referee Silo tasked with straddling other hopelessly corrupt and noncommunicative princeling silos because, well, since we can’t clean them up or get them to vigorously share data and think beyond their bureauocratic self-interests in the spirit of the national interest, we might as well layer the cacophony with a harmonizing superlayer. The nominee is a befuddlement because the organizational entity itself is a befuddlement.
COG is a euphemism for ohmigod in the event the governed are all killed, we will still need to wear red power ties and meet to plan national strategies. It emerges from the same posthuman nihilist well as the JCS’ C19 protocol countermeasures…in the event there are no people left, how do we ensure that our power doesn’t self-immolate with them? Post-Apocalypse Continuity is not a hunt I care to have a dog in.
Anyway, Goetz as AG is all the thrill I need for one day.
I am not puzzled. I believe she is strong enough and honest enough to to learn and thrive in the position. She is future president material and believe that will show as she excels in this role.
We don’t need to be about giving someone (even a potentially good someone) the chance to “learn and thrive” in the position. We don’t have time for that. Heck, I could do it right now – no problem. She’s a little too smooth for me.
Re: She is future president material”
She’s not a natural born citizen; therefore, she is not eligible to serve as president.
For details, click >>> Tulsi Gabbard Naturalized US Citizen
Don’t forget that the Biden administration put her on a terrorist watch list. Oh the irony!
The DNI or deputy sees the President every day for >15 minutes plus sets in on all cabinet and crises meetings as well as situation room meetings. That’s a very sensitive role and invaluable access that most in DC would give their eye-teeth for.
Trump knows what he wants in that role.
Trump likes differing opinions. She will provide them.
And that is one of his major strengths.
All you have to do is listen to the 100s of hours of Tulsi Gabbard on a variety of podcasts. Theres no faking the fact that she legitimataly cares about and wants the best for this country. Or that she was basically kicked out of the Democrat party, after being the darling and the future, for being honest and having common sense. The shot callers don’t need to be the ones that cook the food, they need to be the ones that says if it’s good or not
self-deleted
Yeah… the next four years are going to be interesting. VERY interesting.
This is what I feared. That there is not enough understanding of the real situation among all of them put together. That’s why I felt Sundance’s analysis, based on evidence, was so critical for them to know.
Sadly. I think this pick will be tremendously outgunned and overrun.
I hope the play is to put someone over the IC who has been the subject of corrupt abuse of power and who will make sure that does not happen to ordinary Americans.
I’m not a regular contributor here, but have cherished this site for years, and I expect this will get lost in the sea of comments, but I figure I’ll add my two cents. I’m a working stiff in SoCal. I haven’t been a Republican in a long time, but I’ve been an Anti-Democrat for decades, my entire life really. I’ve always simply thought that they need to be stopped. I lost faith in the Republicans a long time ago, but the ascent of Trump gave me a new hope.
I’ve always liked Tulsi. Even when she was a Democrat. I even wondered in the depths of my skull why she was a Democrat. She seemed to be against everything that they stand for, yet she identified as one. It was confusing to me. When she left the party, I said to myself “It’s about time.” Then, she endorsed Trump, and I thought “I was right about her.”
As for her as DNI, I don’t know if it’s the right choice or not, but I do trust her to be on the side of the American People. Better her than some Swamp Demon. I don’t know (honestly) if she is the best person for the job, but I truly believe that I can trust her, and to me that goes a long way. She won’t be isolated. She’ll probably be able to tap into good people (Ric Grenell for example) to help her get her feet wet.
Personally, and this might get me some flack, but I’m more worried about Gaetz as AG. He’s got shark eyes. And Kristi Noem, she has snake eyes. All that aside, I hope that everything works out and we can get back to some semblance of order and rationality in this great country. I live here and I want it to be great again.
BTW, EVERY LATINO I know voted for Trump, and those who couldn’t still supported him! Maybe demographics aren’t destiny afterall!
Most latinos have common sense.
I am very much like you… geographically and politically. I agree a lot.
Contribute more often, please.
Gabbard was raised in Hawaii. It’s a one-party state. Much like Trump grew up in the environs of NYC and was a life-long Dem until he wasn’t.
Why do you think Trump was a lifelong Democrat?
Me, I’m sick of all the negativity and questioning
President Trump picked Tulsi Gabbard. Over the last 4 years Trump likely studied every key position in detail. What kind of person could fill it.
If Trump thought she was unqualified and not up to task he would not give her the job.
And how difficult is this role anyway? Ask for intel assemble/synthesize it. Then present it.
She’s not gonna get put in the trick bag. Who cares if she has “intel experience or ran a large organization”.
Trump can read. Tulsi will assemble. And get info.
It’s not that deep.
I like Trump’s picks. I’m not drumming up negative energy doubting Trump.
Sundance give us 5 reasons why Gabbard can succeed. Her attributes. Nothing you can do to change this pick. You are not President. This pick is not that bad. 5 reasons would be a nice approach.
People have opinions, ideas, and thoughts. It is chatter and conversation. What gets old is people telling other people to stop being negative, how to think, or what to feel simply they aren’t on someone else’s bandwagon. Life is nothing but positive/negative, off/on, good/bad, AC/DC, Ying/Yang. Good for you for liking Trump’s picks. Go have a beer and celebrate and let others contemplate and discuss.
Tulsi Gabbard is very strongly opposed to keeping the US embroiled in endless overseas wars and entanglements.
The IC has been the laboratory and manufacturer of exactly those endless wars and entanglements.
She is now ideally positioned to interrupt IC efforts to stir up new or expanded global conflicts.
I do see a great fit between Gaetz and Gabbard. I was still a Bernie voter when Gabbard resigned her role at DNC over treatment of Sanders. She has endured and thrived in crucible. Not as prominently and as Gaetz, but there’s similarity. In fact, I think Gaetz befriended her when she cast out in 2016 and shunned by republicans then, too. Standing openly on principle has at least as of now worked out for both of them — but each put there necks out risking being totally shunned, bankrupted and thrown in jail, and they could not have banked on any reward. So they have demonstrated courage and character.
Re the deep dive on the powers and interplay of all these specific positions — I wonder if there’s another aspect to it, too, which is if you can get some real “firebrands” and gamechangers in a few slots, does that by itself change the whole dynamic? In other words, yes, we micro focus on who’s put where …. but also step back and see the potential sea change from getting a few of the RIGHT people anywhere. When you picture a Gaetz at DOJ — puts into perspective how so many appointees, ones we consider “good,” really are just babysitting the office, not getting in the way, facilitating something good here are there. If you can get a few true fighters in there who understand the tax — how might that really move things?
I don’t know, just watching with the rest of everyone. I hope these two (and Gabbard with the most to prove) truly have the grit and courage we hope for.
Should have proofread – I mean understand the *task
BREAKING HUGE: President Trump Announces Nomination of GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz
For US Attorney General | The Gateway Pundit
“In essence, the DNI *CAN BE* deployed like a super strong cross-silo inspector general’s office. Force the other IC silos to comply with the demands of the DNI. This has never been done. But the DNI has this unique power.”
Hope ( there’s that darn word again) that this is what our Lion has ascertained. Lot of women on this road to MAGA but I gotta trust our Lion.
He didn’t dodge a bullet for nothing.
My impression of most of the picks so far is PT #1 priority is surrounding himself with people he can trust. No more leaks that end of trying to get him impeached. Trust/loyalty over experience is job 1 IMO to PT.
He is counting on their loyalty and common sense run their departments with focus on draining the swamp, cut out the crap policies from prior admin, reduce bureaucracy and make decisions that benefit the everyday American people.
He went with so called experience in term #1 and it blew up in his face. Phooey on experience, he wants common sense from his team who fully support his MAGA policies.
i would expect the next level down in each division to have more actual experience to manage day to day.
we will see if this strategy is more effective than term #1.
I am all for it… and Matt Gaetz for AG. I’m not sure either will go through the Senate, but make it during a recess. A bit surprising. I had expected and hoped for Grenell as DNI.
I see Tulsi as a populist who is America First. Many who made Trump win again are former Democrats. It’s less about party affiliation these days. The GOP has changed for the future.
Even if the Senate manages not to confirm Gaetz, it will cost them.
yep.
Can’t be that bad /sarc
“Tulsi Gabbard for DNI, a Russian spy. Brilliant”
Ex-Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger via bluesky.
Maybe she was put there to draw out the IC and ssci during confirmation. The dems are dumb enough to go there, she demands all evidence to be made public and the accuser named.
I like her integrity, and she needed to be somewhere in the administration. Put her in and kick ass. I like her!
There’s a thread running through Trump’s cabinet picks, and we are missing it.
He is choosing people who are, with good reason, as PISSED OFF as he is about the running of our great country.
He is placing people in the roles to be in charge of the chief source of their ire.
It’s not about what they know; it’s about how willing they are to burn the whole thing down.
She’s listed on the Council on Foreign Relations website and has been approached by the World Economic Forum.
What does approached mean?
Did they send her a letter?
Who hasn’t been “approached” by the WEF?
I cannot respect someone who endorsed Biden and Bernie.
Bernie was an Independent before becoming a Democrat to run for President. The choice was slim pickens Hillary or Bernie? In the end, Gabbard wasn’t a Clinton Crazy, so that is a good thing. I voted for McInsane and Romney, what are you gonna do when there isn’t much choice?
As soon as she found out the demoncrats had her on a watch list she became a woman scorned. And you all must know what follows on from that.
Release the Furies!
Long time lurker here. Sundance usually preaches pure gospel. But, I think he’s over-thinking this one.
Her qualifications are: She’s fearless and has a bigger pair of balls than most/all of the men she will be dealing with.
She’s extremely intelligent (she’ll quickly learn the details). She’s not compromised by the DC cabal. She knows intimately how things work in DC.
After all, we aren’t sending someone in there to attend the cocktail parties and cozy up. We are sending a “warrior” into a viper’s nest. Many will underestimate her to their peril.
Amen
🎯
Is it possible we all have too much PTSD, and we need to trust the man?
I, like Sundance, have been skeptical of Musk and Vance. Thus far, they have both wildly exceeded my expectations. I’m going to sit back and enjoy all of this and trust that Trump, and ultimately, God has a plan. I can’t wait to see it unfold.
It’s like the movie “Dave”. Commonsense common, Americans I hope.
Let’s see who her #2 Deputy is in the DNI. Maybe Tulsi was chosen to be the public face who can hold her own against the media vipers while #2 quietly does the hard work without distraction.
Long….LONG time reader, seldom poster. I feel compelled to post today, after reading this site compulsively, multiple times a day, for years.
I find the balance of these nomination announcements concerning. It feels like the slap shot days of Trump 1.0, and if I have to tell my criticisms of Trump 1.0 — and there are a few — it would be to critique how long it took him to get halfway decent people in key roles. Rex Tillerson, any one? In fact this has always been my primary concern about Trump, even though i enthusiastically support him.
So I have used CTH to give me clarity of purpose when it comes to PJDT, not that I needed it for voting for him, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but to help me believe that it was the smart move, and not just an emotional reaction to the despair and decline of Biden/Harris. And thus, the CTH arguments for key personnel were my “canaries in coal mines” as to the seriousness of the Trump 2.0 operation.
In my view, it hasn’t happened. I’m sorry, but I’m losing faith. And it feels like Sundance is giving a 4D chess explanation for why it might still be great, but I’m losing heart a little bit. Rubio? Tulsi? Really? Maybe Trump is the same guy he was always, like during the Apprentice: he over-awards perceived loyalty. How else did Omarosa end up in the White House?!?
Don’t bother flaming me. If CTH wants to check he will know I’ve been reading this sight literally multiple times a day for years. I’m just dismayed a bit, and seeking help. Moving the goalposts on why PDJT is still a very stable genius won’t cut it. If we’re going to stop pretending, let’s do it.
I’ve never trusted Tulsi. She says she’s a Hindu and while that’s technically true, she is in fact a Hare Krishna who was “unschooled” in the Philippines by her Hawaiian surfer dude guru and married into the same group.
Are there any picks so far that we can assume the Senate will let through? I’m just kind of wondering how that would look to the American people.
Well, she is mentally competent which is more than what can be said of our current president, so there’s that.
Where’s Ric Grenelle (sp?) gonna land?