Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard just dropped a bombshell about Russia’s game plan in the 2016 election, according to The Daily Caller.
In a revealing interview with the New York Post’s Miranda Devine on “Pod Force One,” Gabbard laid out a stunning claim: Russia was banking on Hillary Clinton winning the presidency in 2016 and aimed to sow chaos in the process.
Gabbard's claims are backed by newly released reports that challenge the long-held narrative that the Kremlin favored Donald Trump.
Let’s rewind to 2016, when accusations flew that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee’s emails, a claim later backed by an ODNI memo stating the Russian government directed attacks on both the DNC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Gabbard’s take is a head-scratcher for anyone who bought the old story that Russia was all-in for Trump.
“As we’ve learned in later documents... Russia believed that Hillary Clinton would win,” Gabbard asserted, painting a picture of a Kremlin convinced of Clinton’s triumph.
But if they thought her victory was a done deal, why meddle at all? Gabbard suggests their goal wasn’t to pick a winner but to stir the pot, creating discord no matter who took the Oval Office.
Fast forward to a 2017 report from the House Permanent Committee on Intelligence, which Gabbard released during a White House press briefing on July 23, 2025.
This document, per Gabbard, punches holes in the Obama-era intelligence conclusion that Russia was rooting for Trump, a narrative pushed with “high confidence” by some big names back then.
“If Russia aspired to help Trump... Putin would have released the most damaging information,” Gabbard argued, questioning why the Kremlin held back if their supposed aim was to boost Trump’s chances.
Then there’s the 2020 House Intelligence Committee report, which revealed Russia might have had dirt on Clinton, including claims of her using heavy tranquilizers for emotional struggles.
Gabbard raised a sharp point: Why wasn’t this intel made public sooner? She suspects it was “intentionally withheld” under the assumption Clinton would win, with plans to drop the bombshell closer to an inauguration for maximum disruption.
“It surprised me that all of these documents still existed,” Gabbard admitted, hinting at a deeper game of hide-and-seek with critical information that could have reshaped public perception.
Adding fuel to the fire, Gabbard announced referrals to the Department of Justice regarding the ODNI’s findings during that same July 2025 White House briefing, signaling she’s not letting this issue gather dust.
She also pointed to a covert mission under the previous administration to undermine Trump’s legitimacy, calling it a “yearslong coup” that sought to subvert the will of American voters—a charge that should make any patriot pause and think.
So, where does this leave us? Gabbard’s revelations challenge the establishment’s tidy story about 2016, urging a hard look at who’s been spinning the truth and why, all while keeping the focus on protecting our democratic process from foreign meddling and domestic deception alike.