NSA Uncovers Call Between Trump Associate and Foreign Intelligence Actor: Whistleblower Claims

In spring 2025, the National Security Agency reportedly intercepted a call involving an associate of former President Donald Trump and a foreign intelligence operative, as revealed by a whistleblower.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard allegedly intervened, taking a physical copy of the intelligence report to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, instructing the NSA to withhold its findings. Instead, Gabbard purportedly directed officials to funnel information directly to her office, according to Andrew Bakaj, the whistleblower’s attorney.

These claims, which Gabbard’s office vehemently disputes, highlight a standoff between the whistleblower and Trump administration intelligence officials. The whistleblower contends that there has been a deliberate delay in addressing their complaint, while officials maintain compliance with legal protocols regarding sensitive information.

“This story is false,” a spokesperson for Gabbard asserted. “Every action taken by DNI Gabbard was within her legal authority. Attempts to manipulate classified information undermine vital national security efforts.”

In a statement on X, Gabbard emphasized, “I have never possessed the whistleblower’s complaint, so I could not have ‘hidden’ it. The Biden-era IC Inspector General Tamara Johnson was responsible for securing it.”

Gabbard further noted that she first reviewed the complaint two weeks ago to guide its secure sharing with Congress.

The call in question reportedly involved discussions about Trump’s associate and Iran, as reported by The New York Times, citing sources familiar with congressional briefings.

The White House and NSA have been approached for comments regarding these allegations.

Last May, the intelligence community inspector general hotline received a complaint asserting that the distribution of a classified report was restricted for political reasons and that an intelligence lawyer failed to report a potential crime to the Justice Department. This complaint was communicated to lawmakers this week, despite expectations that such matters are typically relayed within weeks.

After reviewing the complaint, acting inspector general Tamara Johnson deemed the first allegation uncredible and could not assess the second's credibility, as stated in a letter from Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Christopher Fox.

The White House examined the complaint for possible executive privilege claims, which protect certain internal communications.

Fox indicated that had he initially reviewed the complaint, he would not have marked it as urgent. He attributed the delayed congressional release to factors such as government shutdowns and staff changes.

The complaint has elicited varied responses across Washington.

Bakaj claims Gabbard has not fulfilled her legal obligation to provide guidance to the whistleblower regarding disclosure options to congressional committees. “We are moving forward with plans for an unclassified briefing to the committees,” Bakaj announced on Bluesky.

Reactions have split along party lines. Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, stated on X that he found the whistleblower complaint to be another attempt by critics of the president to undermine his policies. “I agree with both inspectors general: the complaint lacks credibility,” he added.

Conversely, Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, accused officials of attempting to “bury the complaint.” He emphasized at a press conference that “the law mandates agencies relay whistleblower complaints within 21 days,” noting that this particular complaint was issued in May but only reached Congress in February.