Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has dismissed the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council and has moved the council under the direct oversight of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), according to senior intelligence officials who spoke to Fox News Digital.
On Tuesday, Gabbard removed Mike Collins, the acting chair of the National Intelligence Council, and his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof. According to officials, whistleblowers had raised concerns about both individuals, describing them as “radically opposed to Trump.”
🚨 #BREAKING: Tulsi Gabbard just FIRED the top “RADICALLY anti-Trump” deep state officials from the National Intelligence Council, per FOX
This is EXACTLY why the deep state fought her appointment so hard.
Tulsi’s doing a HELL of a job as the Director of National Intelligence. pic.twitter.com/ObpUQtaAtP
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 13, 2025
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The move is part of a broader effort by Gabbard to eliminate political bias and prevent the misuse of intelligence for partisan purposes.
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Officials told Fox News Digital that Collins is the subject of whistleblower complaints alleging political bias and efforts to “deliberately undermine the incoming Trump administration.”
Collins is reportedly closely associated with former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morrell, who helped coordinate a public letter in 2020 suggesting that Hunter Biden’s laptop bore “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
That letter was signed by over 50 former intelligence officials.
As for Langan-Riekhof, intelligence officials described her as a “key advocate” for diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, and a figure who whistleblowers say is also strongly opposed to Trump.
In addition to removing the leadership of the National Intelligence Council, Gabbard has also relocated the council’s operations from the CIA to ODNI.
A CIA official confirmed Tuesday that while the council has always been a component of the DNI, “it makes sense for them to be physically located at DNI.”
Gabbard’s actions come amid a broader shakeup in the intelligence community.
According to officials, many leakers are “career bureaucrats that are entrenched in Washington politics.”
One official said, “It takes time to weed them out and fire them,” and confirmed that plans are in motion to shut down “non-essential offices within ODNI that we know are housing deep state leakers.”
Gabbard has also referred three intelligence community members to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution related to classified information leaks.
Fox News Digital first reported those referrals in April.
According to an ODNI official, the individuals allegedly leaked classified intelligence to The Washington Post and The New York Times.
“Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation’s security at risk and must end,” Gabbard told Fox News Digital in April.
“Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Currently, ODNI is conducting investigations into 12 additional intelligence officials suspected of leaking classified material.
Officials told Fox News Digital that in early May, ODNI fired two CIA detailees who allegedly leaked details of an assessment concerning the violent Tren de Aragua gang to The New York Times.
Three Criminal Referrals Announced by Tulsi Gabbard@DNIGabbard, “Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation’s security at risk and must end.” She added, “Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the… pic.twitter.com/vbjIzZAU3u
— Steve Gruber (@stevegrubershow) May 12, 2025
Those individuals were terminated for “not following proper procedures,” according to intelligence sources.
To address internal misconduct and restore trust in the intelligence community, Gabbard created a task force in April called the Director’s Initiative Group (DIG).
The initiative is charged with identifying politicization, uncovering unauthorized disclosures, and declassifying information deemed to be in the public interest.
Officials say the group is also investigating the use of sexually explicit chatrooms among National Security Agency employees and working to hold those involved accountable.
Gabbard’s efforts, however, come amid frustrations within the administration over the Senate’s delay in confirming key intelligence nominees.
Several top roles at ODNI remain vacant, including positions for principal deputy director of national intelligence, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, intelligence community inspector general, and ODNI general counsel.
Intelligence officials say those positions are “essential” to fully implementing President Trump’s national security agenda.
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