Threat Assessment Report Sparks Controversy
Recently, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attended the Senate Intelligence Committee's annual global threat assessment hearing. However, the focus of the meeting quickly shifted to a striking omission in the report: it failed to mention any threats regarding foreign powers interfering in US elections. This marks the first time since 2017 that the US intelligence community has excluded such content from its annual report.
Mark Warner, the Democratic leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed strong skepticism. He directly questioned Gabbard: "Are you suggesting that there are absolutely no foreign threats to the US midterm elections this year?" In response, Gabbard stated that this year's report was based on a "prioritization" of threats and did not explicitly deny their existence.
Growing Concerns Over Political Interference
For a long time, the US intelligence community has documented attempts by countries such as Russia, Iran, and China to influence American voters through cyber operations or online propaganda. However, as the November midterm elections approach, policymakers and former national security officials are concerned about the Trump administration's stance. Critics point out that the government has recently cut the budget for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and key positions such as the "Foreign Malign Influence Center" have remained vacant for long periods, which is seen as a deliberate attempt by the government to downplay external risks.
Warner told the media after the hearing: "The intelligence community is no longer allowed to speak honestly about these threats, but that does not mean the threats have disappeared." He further warned that he fears the government might "fabricate" intelligence under some pretext, using it as an excuse to deploy federal power to intervene in local elections.
The "Observer" Role in Raid Operations
In addition to the report's content, Gabbard's participation in an FBI raid on a Georgia election office this past January also became a focus of the questioning. That office has long been a central target for Trump's challenges to the 2020 election results. Although there is currently no evidence linking the investigation to foreign powers, Gabbard's presence caused significant unease among Democratic lawmakers.
When questioned by Senator Jon Ossoff, Gabbard admitted that she went to the scene to observe the operation "at the request of the President." She argued that she did not participate in law enforcement activities, as that would be outside her jurisdiction, and that she was merely there to oversee the execution of the search warrant alongside the Deputy Director of the FBI at the request of the President and his administration.
Other Issues at the Hearing
Although the hearing that day focused primarily on the ongoing conflict with Iran, the discussion on digital security issues was extremely limited. Beyond the question of the continuation of electronic surveillance tools and the infiltration of US critical infrastructure by the Chinese hacker group "Volt Typhoon," the core issue of election security was almost entirely avoided by government officials.
Analysts point out that Gabbard's performance at the hearing has further exacerbated concerns about the political neutrality of US intelligence agencies. As Election Day approaches, how to ensure the transparency and independence of intelligence work while safeguarding election security has become a major issue that the US political establishment must urgently address.