NSA detected foreign intelligence call involving person linked to Trump, whistleblower says
The National Security Agency intercepted a phone call between two foreign intelligence figures that included discussion of a person close to Donald Trump, according to an attorney representing a whistleblower briefed on the matter.
The highly classified NSA foreign intelligence call was flagged last spring and later brought to the attention of the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. According to the whistleblower’s legal counsel, instead of allowing the intelligence to follow standard distribution procedures, Gabbard personally took a paper copy of the report to the White House chief of staff.
The attorney said that following the meeting, Gabbard instructed the NSA not to publish or circulate the intelligence through normal channels and instead directed that the material be transmitted exclusively to her office. The information reportedly remained restricted for several months, despite requests to share it with congressional intelligence committees.
A whistleblower later contacted the inspector general’s office, alleging that the handling of the NSA foreign intelligence call deviated from established protocol. A formal complaint was filed weeks later, asserting that the intelligence had been withheld from routine oversight processes.
Clarifications provided by the whistleblower’s attorney indicate that the intercepted call involved two foreign intelligence operatives discussing an individual connected to Trump, rather than a direct conversation between foreign intelligence and a US political figure. The individual referenced is not believed to be a government employee or official.
Officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have rejected the allegations, stating that all actions taken were lawful and within statutory authority. The office described the claims as politically motivated and noted that previous internal reviews found no substantiation for the allegations.
The inspector general ultimately dismissed the complaint after a preliminary review, stating that it could not determine whether the claims were credible. However, lawmakers have raised concerns about delays in oversight and potential conflicts within the watchdog process, particularly following personnel changes inside the inspector general’s office.
Members of senior congressional leadership later received a redacted briefing on the issue. While opinions differ over the legality of the actions taken, the case has intensified debate over transparency, intelligence oversight and the handling of sensitive national security information during politically sensitive periods.
