Tulsi Gabbard Shatters Washington: How the New DNI Declassified the Evidence That Ended Adam Schiff’s Career

When Adam Schiff revived an old accusation that Tulsi Gabbard was a “Russian asset,” he likely expected the same media reaction he’d relied on for years: headlines echoing his claims, pundits repeating his talking points, and critics scrambling to defend themselves against implications of treason.

What he did not anticipate was that Tulsi Gabbard—now serving as Director of National Intelligence (DNI)—possessed the one power no political narrative could survive:

Full access to the intelligence he had weaponized for years.

In a hearing that lasted 35 unforgettable minutes, Gabbard dismantled Schiff’s claims not as a political opponent, but as the official who commanded all 17 intelligence agencies, with unrestricted access to every classified file he’d invoked to justify three years of televised allegations.

By the time she finished, Schiff’s political future had collapsed, the Justice Department had opened investigations, whistleblowers had come forward, and declassified documents had destroyed the foundation of his public career.

This is the story of that moment — and the shockwaves that continue reshaping Washington.

A Hearing That Washington Never Expected

When Tulsi Gabbard adjusted her microphone at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, the room expected a standard exchange of political jabs.

Instead, they witnessed the first-ever public declassification of intelligence used to refute a sitting senator’s statements.

Gabbard began quietly, almost gently.

“Senator Schiff has questioned my loyalty to America,” she said. “He has accused me of being compromised by foreign influence. These are accusations of treason.”

Then she laid out the credentials Schiff had ignored:

Director of National Intelligence

Overseer of 17 intelligence agencies

Holder of TS/SCI and compartmented clearances

Daily briefer to the President

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve

Iraq War combat veteran

A stark contrast to Schiff — a long-time political figure better known for television appearances than military or intelligence service.

The temperature in the chamber changed instantly.

Tulsi’s First Strike: The Classified Record

Gabbard opened the first thick folder labeled TOP SECRET//SCI and delivered a blow Washington had never seen:

“I have reviewed every piece of classified intelligence Senator Schiff used to justify his claims of Trump–Russia collusion.
The evidence he described publicly… does not exist.”

Gasps rippled across the room. Even reporters looked up from their screens.

Gabbard continued methodically:

Schiff claimed in March 2017 to have “more than circumstantial evidence.”

Classified briefings from that period contained none.

He later said evidence was “direct.”

No direct intelligence existed.

He said proof was “overwhelming.”

The material was unverified political opposition research (the Steele dossier).

She paused only long enough to let the gravity settle.

“The overwhelming proof Senator Schiff claimed to have seen was never in any intelligence briefing. He lied—repeatedly and deliberately—for three years.”

Schiff jumped to his feet.

“That’s classified! You can’t—”

Gabbard didn’t raise her voice.

“I am the Director of National Intelligence. I have declassification authority. And I am exercising it.”

The hearing room erupted.

The Whistleblower Who Changed Everything

A man in the gallery stood. His voice carried the weight of 22 years in the FBI.

“My name is Marcus Williams,” he said. “I worked on the Russia investigation.”

He testified that:

FBI agents repeatedly informed leadership there was no evidence of collusion

Schiff was briefed on this multiple times

Internal dissent was silenced

Agents were pressured to “find something—anything”

Williams lost his job and pension for refusing to support a narrative the evidence did not justify

He ended with a devastating statement:

“Senator Schiff, you are not a patriot.
You destroyed careers, divided America, and lied about intelligence professionals who told the truth.”

The room sat frozen.

The Journalist Who Was Silenced

Then came another unexpected voice.

“My name is Sarah Chen,” said a young investigative journalist.

She reported on the Hunter Biden laptop story and provided proof that:

She verified the emails independently

Platforms banned her within 24 hours of Schiff calling the story “Russian disinformation”

Her YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts were shut down simultaneously

She lost her income, platform, and reputation

Her final words struck like a hammer:

“You called Director Gabbard a Russian asset.
She served in combat.
You suppressed true information to influence an election.
Who is the real threat to democracy?”

The Families Schiff’s Accusations Destroyed

Gabbard then revealed the human cost behind the political theater.

Michael Flynn

33 years of service.
Combat deployments.
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Schiff repeatedly accused him of treason.

Yet:

FBI interview notes said agents didn’t believe he lied

His call with Ambassador Kislyak was “entirely appropriate”

He lost his savings, reputation, and years of his life

Flynn’s elderly sister, Margaret, stood in the gallery holding his photo in uniform.

“You called my brother a traitor,” she said, trembling.
“You destroyed our family. You owe him an apology.”

Carter Page

Navy veteran. Never charged with any crime.

Yet Schiff:

Approved FISA warrants based on unverified information

Called Page a Russian spy on television

Ignored intelligence warning the dossier was unreliable

Page’s life was destroyed without charges, without a trial, without evidence.

January 6th: Intelligence Abuse in Real Time

Gabbard then confronted Schiff’s framing of January 6th.

“It was a riot and a crime. But comparing it to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor was political manipulation—used to justify expanded surveillance and political targeting.”

Her experience as a combat veteran lent the comparison credibility no commentator could match.

The Turning Point: Evidence Schiff Never Expected Her to See

Gabbard reached for a final folder.

Inside were communications between Schiff’s staff and major social media executives—encouraging suppression of politically damaging information in the weeks before the 2020 election.

Not misinformation.
Not Russian disinformation.
True information.

“This is election interference,” she said.
“Using intelligence community relationships to suppress accurate reporting.”

For the first time in his career, Schiff had no defense—because the evidence came from the intelligence system he thought would protect him.

Schiff’s Collapse

Two months after the hearing:

Adam Schiff withdrew from his Senate race

The Justice Department opened inquiries into his conduct

FISA court judges reviewed whether they were misled

Former allies distanced themselves

MSNBC and CNN quietly dropped him from their contributor lists

The man once treated as the authoritative voice on intelligence had become politically radioactive.

The Rebuild Under DNI Gabbard

Gabbard’s reforms reshaped the intelligence community:

New safeguards against political weaponization

Clear guidelines restricting agency coordination with media and tech platforms

Whistleblower protections

Oversight protocols for FISA warrants

Public transparency requirements for intelligence-based political claims

For the first time in years, the intelligence community applauded its own director as she left the room.

A standing ovation.

The Message That Outlived the Hearing

Gabbard’s final statement became the defining line of the entire confrontation:

“You called me a Russian asset.
But as Director of National Intelligence,
I have access to the actual intelligence.
And I can prove you lied.
Unlike you—I have evidence.”

For a decade, Schiff had used classified information as a shield, implying he’d seen proof he could never publicly reveal.

Gabbard removed that shield.

She didn’t defeat him with rhetoric.
She defeated him with the truth in the one place no narrative could survive:

The classified record.