Gambiaj.com – (WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES) – US House Democrats are preparing investigations into what they describe as President Donald Trump’s politicization of the country’s intelligence agencies, including allegations that analysts have become reluctant to produce assessments that could contradict the administration’s position.
The investigations are expected to begin in January, when Democrats take control of the House of Representatives and the Senate following their victory in the November 3 midterm elections.
Jim Himes, a Democratic representative from Connecticut who is set to become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told Reuters on Tuesday that there was evidence of declining morale and growing political pressure within the intelligence community.
“There’s absolutely evidence that analysts are hesitant to write on topics that they think might be controversial. There’s absolutely evidence of a decline in morale in the analytic community because of the pressures that they are under,” Himes said.
He said the committee would examine the dismissal of intelligence officers and analysts who allegedly faced retaliation for producing assessments that did not align with the president’s preferred positions.
“We’re going to tell the story of the patriots who were fired because they said something that was inconsistent with what the president wanted to be true,” Himes said.
Hundreds Of Intelligence Officers Affected
The planned investigations follow a major restructuring of US intelligence agencies during Trump’s second term, which has seen hundreds of officers fired or leave their positions through voluntary departure programs.
Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard cut her agency’s workforce by approximately 40% last year, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe publicly committed to reducing his agency’s workforce by more than 1,000 positions over several years.
Both agencies offered deferred-resignation programs providing pay and benefits to employees who agreed to leave.
The reductions also affected experienced analysts and senior officials, including personnel at the National Intelligence Council, the intelligence community’s principal analytical body operating under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
At least two dismissed analysts had reportedly been involved in an assessment that contradicted the White House’s official position on Venezuela.
Critics argue that the restructuring has weakened the intelligence community by removing experienced personnel and undermining its institutional expertise. The Trump administration has defended its broader campaign against what the president has described as the “deep state“.
Concerns Over Political Pressure And Intelligence Sharing
The investigation will also examine the impact of political interference on intelligence assessments and cooperation between agencies.
Reuters previously reported that initiatives associated with Gabbard’s Director’s Initiative Group, which revisited the 2020 presidential election and the origins of COVID-19, generated tensions within the intelligence community.
Those tensions reportedly intensified after Gabbard revoked the security clearances of current and former intelligence officials a year ago, contributing to a breakdown in intelligence sharing and cooperation within the agencies and with Congress.
Himes said he had reviewed a legally mandated intelligence community survey showing that employees began experiencing significant political pressure in 2025.
He is also seeking to declassify additional internal reports that could provide further evidence of the consequences of the dismissals and alleged politicisation.
“The moment the intelligence community stops telling the truth to national leaders, you get into an Iraq war because of weapons of mass destruction that don’t exist,” Himes said, warning of the potential consequences when intelligence assessments are influenced by political considerations.
Beyond personnel decisions and analytical independence, the House Intelligence Committee also plans to scrutinize the administration’s relationships with defense and intelligence contractors, as well as US covert operations overseas.
The investigations would mark a significant shift in congressional oversight of the intelligence community, which has faced limited scrutiny under Republican control of Congress during the first two years of Trump’s second term.
Source: Reuters
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