In a bold and fiery opening statement on January 30, Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, laid out a powerful challenge to the so-called “Deep State,” vowing to end the intelligence community’s weaponization against political opponents. Her remarks immediately captivated the Senate Intelligence Committee and sent shockwaves through Washington.

Gabbard, known for her outspoken criticisms of the political establishment, began her testimony by confronting the systemic failures within U.S. intelligence services. She didn’t mince words, accusing the intelligence agencies of enabling disastrous foreign policy decisions and undermining national security through their incompetence and political bias.

“For too long, faulty, inadequate, or weaponized intelligence has led to costly failures and the undermining of our national security,” Gabbard said, drawing attention to one of the most significant intelligence failures in modern U.S. history—the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She boldly declared that the invasion, which was based on false intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction, was a glaring example of the intelligence community’s failure and its devastating consequences.

“The most obvious example of one of these failures is our invasion of Iraq based upon a total fabrication or complete failure of intelligence,” Gabbard stated, underscoring the long-lasting damage caused by this flawed intelligence.

But Gabbard didn’t stop there. With sharp clarity, she called out the politicization of intelligence agencies, which she argued has led to the targeting of domestic political enemies, including herself and former President Trump.

“You may hear lies and smears in this hearing that challenge my loyalty to and love for our country,” Gabbard warned, acknowledging the kind of baseless attacks she has come to expect from those who oppose her. “Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience, and the Constitution of the United States.”

In a scathing rebuke of the Deep State’s smear tactics, Gabbard mocked the absurdity of the accusations against her, listing off the ridiculous claims made about her loyalty: “Trump’s puppet, Putin’s puppet, Assad’s puppet, a guru’s puppet, Modi’s puppet—without recognizing the absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters.”

Gabbard also took aim at the intelligence community’s concerted efforts to undermine President Trump during his time in office. “The American people elected Donald Trump not once but twice, and yet the American intelligence agencies were politicized by his opponents to undermine his presidency and falsely portray him as a puppet of Vladimir Putin,” she said, highlighting the abuse of power that was used to target the former president.

She detailed the infamous use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to spy on Trump’s campaign advisor, Carter Page, using a politically motivated dossier funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign as the basis for the illegal warrant. “They illegally obtained a warrant to spy on Trump’s campaign advisor using a Clinton campaign-funded false dossier as their so-called evidence,” Gabbard said, adding that this abuse of power needed to be addressed.

Gabbard didn’t stop at Trump, further holding intelligence officials accountable for their dishonest and reckless behavior. She pointed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who in 2013 lied under oath to Congress when he claimed the federal government didn’t collect Americans’ phone and internet records without warrants. “Clapper was never held accountable,” Gabbard noted, underscoring the lack of consequences for intelligence officials who mislead the public and lawmakers.

She also took aim at former CIA Director John Brennan, accusing him of abusing his power to spy on Congress, dodge oversight, and repeatedly lie about it. “Under [Brennan], the CIA abused its power to spy on Congress, to dodge oversight, and lied about it until he was caught,” Gabbard said, adding that Brennan, like others, has never faced consequences for these abuses.

In a direct call to action, Gabbard made it clear that the status quo could not continue. “Sadly, there are more examples. The bottom line is this: This must end,” she said, calling for a complete overhaul of the intelligence community.

Gabbard’s fiery remarks sent a clear message: As Director of National Intelligence, she would not tolerate the weaponization of intelligence services for political gain. Her unflinching stance on cleaning up the intelligence agencies and holding corrupt officials accountable is a refreshing contrast to the establishment figures who have long turned a blind eye to these abuses.

In a town where political games are often played behind closed doors, Gabbard’s fearless challenge to the Deep State and commitment to restoring integrity to the intelligence community could prove to be a game-changer for national security and the future of American democracy.