A new report claims Tulsi Gabbard called Donald Trump directly so he could speak to agents who raided Georgia election offices, as questions continue to surround why the director of national intelligence was at the scene.
Gabbard reportedly called the president on her cell phone, but he initially didn’t answer and called her back. New York Times.
Trump later spoke with members of the FBI’s Atlanta field office who were conducting a raid in Fulton County, where the president has been falsely claiming illegal activity occurred that led to the 2020 presidential election being “stolen” from him.
according to The Times, Trump asked the agents several questions and praised their work during the call, which lasted about a minute. Three people familiar with the matter told the outlet the interaction was more like a pep rally or a halftime speech by a sports coach.
The source added that the president gave no specific instructions to investigators.
On January 28, 2026, in Union City, Georgia, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stood on the edge of a truck loading dock and made a phone call after the FBI executed a search warrant related to the 2020 election at the Fulton County Elections Center and Operations Center, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter.
independent The White House, FBI and Justice Department have been contacted to obtain further information about the reported phone call and Gabbard’s presence in Fulton County, which was also reportedly ordered by the president himself.
Other administration officials have previously denied that Trump was directly involved in planning or approving the raid. Deputy Attorney General Todd Branch told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday: “This is a criminal investigation, so the law must be strictly followed,” Branch claimed.
Branch, however, did not answer questions about the potential crime being investigated and struggled to explain why Gabbard was there.
It was unclear why Director of National Intelligence Gabbard attended the Georgia operation. It is highly unusual for the director of national intelligence to be on the ground conducting an operation (AFP/Getty)
“I don’t know why the director is there. But she’s certainly a critical part of our efforts to ensure the integrity of the election and make sure we have a free and fair election. She’s an expert in this area,” he said.
Branch added that Gabbard “can go where she needs to go,” but could not answer what the director of national intelligence was accomplishing by overseeing the FBI raid, which falls under the purview of the Justice Department.
It would be highly unusual for the director of national intelligence to be on the scene conducting an operation because her role overseeing U.S. intelligence agencies does not include personal involvement in criminal investigations.
Branch said the operation in Fulton County came after a federal magistrate judge issued a search warrant to FBI agents to seize voting records as part of a “criminal grand jury investigation.”
