Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused The Washington Post and reporter Ellen Nakashima of harassing her staff and bypassing official communication channels. Gabbard alleges Nakashima used a burner phone to contact high-level intelligence officers anonymously, refusing to identify herself and pressuring them for sensitive information. She characterized this as a politically motivated attack, citing past incidents where Nakashima allegedly stalked her family in Hawaii.
In response, The Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray defended Nakashima, calling her a respected journalist who responsibly pursues stories by contacting sources outside official government press offices. Murray labeled Gabbard’s accusations as unfounded personal attacks reflecting a misunderstanding of journalistic duties.
Gabbard’s deputy chief of staff, Alexa Henning, dismissed the Post’s denial, suggesting the accusations were not refuted. This conflict adds to prior tensions; last November, a Post reporter was accused by Gabbard’s former chief of staff of stalking former staffers and showing up uninvited at a home.
Separately, Gabbard disputed recent CNN and New York Times reports on U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, claiming the damage assessments cited were selective and ongoing, countering the narrative that the strikes had limited impact.
