Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has created a team, known as the Director’s Initiative Group (DIG), to enforce President Donald Trump’s executive orders on declassifying documents and ending diversity programs. The team aims to use artificial intelligence tools to identify potential efforts to undermine the administration’s agenda.
The DIG seeks access to emails and chat logs of major US spy agencies, citing a desire to improve efficiency and reduce “politicization” in intelligence work. However, senior agency officials have expressed concerns about counterintelligence risks and privacy issues associated with aggregating sensitive information.
Gabbard, who has previously criticized the use of powerful spy agencies for political purposes, has faced criticism from Trump’s inner circle and has been excluded from key meetings. The DIG’s efforts have also raised eyebrows among career intelligence professionals who fear that Gabbard may be allowing politics to taint the work of gathering and analyzing intelligence.
The team’s leader, Paul McNamara, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, has overseen the effort, which aims to use AI tools to more efficiently declassify documents. The ODNI has released tens of thousands of documents related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
However, some have raised concerns that the DIG’s efforts may be motivated by a desire to root out perceived disloyalty to Trump’s administration, including identifying individuals who implemented policies of previous administrations. Others have expressed concern about the potential for aggregating sensitive information in one place, which could make it a tempting target for foreign intelligence services.
Gabbard has disputed reports, stating that her team is working to expose “the truth” and end politicization in intelligence work. However, some have questioned whether this effort is genuinely aimed at improving efficiency or if it is part of a broader effort to undermine Trump’s opponents.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/08/gabbard-dig-odni-weaponization-intelligence