NSA detected foreign intelligence phone call about a person close to Trump

The Guardian ^ | Sat 7 Feb 2026 23.54 EST | Cate Brown

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff

Last spring, the National Security Agency (NSA) flagged an unusual phone call between two members of foreign intelligence, who discussed a person close to Donald Trump, according to a whistleblower’s attorney who was briefed on details of the call.

The highly sensitive communique, which has roiled Washington over the past week, was brought to the attention of the director of national intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard.

But rather than allowing NSA officials to distribute the information further, Gabbard took a paper copy of the intelligence directly to the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, according to the whistleblower’s attorney, Andrew Bakaj.

One day after meeting Wiles, Gabbard told the NSA not to publish the intelligence report. Instead, she instructed NSA officials to transmit the highly classified details directly to her office, Bakaj said.

Details of this exchange between Gabbard and the NSA were shared directly with the Guardian and have not been previously reported. Nor has Wiles’s receipt of the intelligence report.

On 17 April, a whistleblower contacted the office of the inspector general alleging that Gabbard had blocked highly classified intelligence from routine dispatch, according to Bakaj, who has been briefed on details surrounding the highly sensitive phone call flagged by the NSA. The whistleblower filed a formal complaint about Gabbard’s actions on 21 May, Bakaj said.

The Guardian reported earlier on Saturday that the phone conversation was between a person associated with foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump, based on Bakaj’s recollection of the complaint, which he confirmed over multiple calls. However, after publication, Bakaj said he misspoke.

He clarified his understanding of the complaint in a statement: “The NSA picked up a phone call between two members of foreign intelligence...

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TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: bakaj; fakenews; gabbard; grauniad; nsa; odnu; spammingfr; tds

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This smells like a Pelosiesque wrap-up smear.

[Skywise]

Uh- excuse me, this isn’t a “whistleblower” this person just leaked critical and possibly debilitating secrets to intentionally hurt the presidency.

[srmanuel]

Coincidently, this whistleblower comes forward at the same time a search warrant was issued in Georgia over the 2020 election with Tulsi Gabbard in attendance.

[aposiopetic]

Tulsi shot this down comprehensively: https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/2020227805976678574.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I knew it had to be BS. Thanks.

[PGR88]

Let me guess - Trump’s a Russian agent!

[PGR88]

Once again, its British media.

weird

Is Christopher Steele behind this one too?

[srmanuel]

Stevie Wonder can see how this is the same playbook being used on Tulsi Gabbard.

[xkaydet65]

British media? Read that as British government?

[mass55th]

Senator Warner, the same snake who in 2017, sent texts to the lobbyist Adam Waldman who was working for a Russian Oligarch that was offering Warner access to former British spy and dossier author Christopher Steele. Warner wanted the Oligarch to set up a meeting for him with Steele. Then last year, it came out that Warner, who had criticized Trump officials for using the encrypted Signal app to discuss plans for a strike on the Houthis in Yemen, had used the same Signal app to send his texts to Waldman.

Top Dem used same app used in Atlantic scandal to set up contact with Steele dossier author

[sauropod]

.

[Revel]

Great