Tulsi Gabbard Drops a Bombshell on Obama’s DNI James Clapper [WATCH]

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accused former Obama-era DNI James Clapper of manipulating intelligence for political purposes on multiple occasions, tying him to both the flawed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) narrative that preceded the Iraq War and the debunked Russia collusion narrative used against President Donald Trump.

Gabbard made the remarks during an appearance on the Pod Force One podcast hosted by Miranda Devine of the New York Post.

The former congresswoman and current DNI described Clapper as a repeat offender in politicizing intelligence and questioned his role in two of the most controversial and consequential failures in modern U.S. intelligence history.

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“James Clapper was on the team that created that manufactured intelligence assessment that led to the Iraq War—about the Iraq WMDs,” Gabbard said.

“He writes about it in his book, saying that he and his team of intelligence analysts created something that was not there.”

Gabbard pointed out that Clapper’s involvement in the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) contributed to the justification for the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

At the time, Clapper was the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), overseeing satellite imagery and geospatial intelligence analysis.

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The NIE concluded that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Those findings were later discredited, but they played a critical role in the Bush administration’s decision to initiate military action.

The intelligence was promoted publicly by Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, CIA Director George Tenet, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, who presented the case to the United Nations in February 2003.

The materials shown during that presentation—including satellite images and communications intercepts—were later determined to be incorrect or manipulated.

Clapper addressed his own role during a 2018 event at George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium, where he promoted his book Facts and Fears.

During the event, Clapper said, “My fingerprints are on the infamous national intelligence assessment of October 2002.”

He acknowledged the intelligence community had built its case on flawed assumptions.

“[The intelligence community] built a case in our own minds, a house of cards it turned out that led us to the conclusion with pretty high confidence that they were there, and it turns out they weren’t,” Clapper said.

“It represented closure for the country and closure for the intelligence community and certainly personal closure. It was certainly a profound event, and I will never forget it,” he added.

Gabbard argued that Clapper’s actions in 2002 were mirrored again in 2016, when he served as President Barack Obama’s Director of National Intelligence.

She accused him of similarly politicizing intelligence in his efforts surrounding the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, which was later shown to be baseless after multiple investigations, including the lengthy special counsel inquiry led by Robert Mueller.

“When you look at his actions then, and you look at his actions in 2016 as Obama’s Director of National Intelligence, you see someone who has no problem whatsoever politicizing, manufacturing, and weaponizing intelligence for a political outcome,” Gabbard said.

HOLY SMOKES: Tulsi Gabbard says the Russia Hoax wasn’t James Clapper’s first intel scandal—she says he “manufactured” the WMD lie that led to the Iraq War.

It all ties together. Perfectly.

Tulsi Gabbard just EXPOSED former DNI James Clapper for what she called a pattern of… pic.twitter.com/9gYXU3W3Pz

— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 6, 2025

Gabbard’s criticism adds to growing scrutiny of intelligence officials who played key roles in advancing politically charged narratives that shaped major U.S. foreign and domestic policies over the past two decades.