Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., called for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding her presence at an FBI raid on a Georgia election office and a subsequent phone call with former President Donald Trump.
Trump’s Involvement and Election Concerns
Warner expressed concern that Gabbard facilitated a phone call between FBI agents and Trump after a search warrant was executed. “Let’s be clear: It is inappropriate for a sitting president to personally involve himself in a criminal investigation tied to an election he lost,” Warner told reporters.
The senator also raised alarms about Trump’s recent suggestion that Republicans should “take over” and “nationalize” elections, stating it indicated a continued threat to election security extending into 2026 and 2028.
Democrats fear Trump may attempt to interfere in upcoming elections, despite having repeatedly and falsely claimed his 2020 loss.
FBI Raid and Gabbard’s Role
Warner accused Gabbard’s office of “dismantling” election safeguards. He asserted that the events in Fulton County were not about revisiting the past, but about influencing future election outcomes.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gabbard stated in a letter to Warner and other lawmakers that her presence at the Fulton County election office was “requested” by Trump and that she only observed the FBI’s execution of a search warrant “for a brief period of time.”
Federal agents were seeking records related to the 2020 elections, with Fulton County Superior Court Clerk Che Alexander stating that they took 656 boxes of election documents – 24 pallets worth.
Phone Call with Trump
Gabbard confirmed reports that she called Trump during a meeting with FBI agents and put him on speakerphone to thank them for their work. She wrote in her letter that she “thanked the FBI agents for their professionalism and great work, and facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally for their work.”
According to The New York Times, Trump asked the agents questions, which were primarily answered by the squad supervisor involved in developing the evidence for the search warrant.
Gabbard stated that Trump “did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives” during the call, and that her office’s general counsel found her actions to be within her statutory authorities.
Trump’s Call for Republican Control
In a recent podcast interview, Trump called on Republicans to “take over the voting,” echoing conspiracy theories about noncitizen voting. He claimed that if undocumented immigrants are not deported, “Republicans will never win another election.”
Trump suggested that Republicans should “nationalize the voting,” citing alleged irregularities in states he lost. States are primarily responsible for governing their own election systems.
Trump added that “interesting things” would come out of Georgia regarding the election.
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
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