Intelligence Director Attended FBI Search of Georgia Election Center at Trump's Request

Tulsi Gabbard says she facilitated a call between Trump and FBI agents during the search.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 6:15am

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has told lawmakers that she attended an FBI search of the election center in Fulton County, Georgia, last week because President Donald Trump asked her to be present. Gabbard also acknowledged that she "facilitated" a brief phone call between Trump and the FBI agents who carried out the search, though she insisted that neither she nor the president had issued any directives.

Why it matters

Gabbard's presence at the FBI search has raised questions, as the position of national intelligence director is typically focused on foreign threats rather than domestic concerns. Democrats fear her involvement could lay the groundwork for the federal government to assert that the 2020 election was tainted by foreign meddling or to cast doubt on the integrity of future elections.

The details

Gabbard said her presence was specifically requested by Trump and that she accompanied senior FBI officials "under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security." She suggested that election systems are at risk of foreign interference, citing what she said was intelligence showing that electronic voting systems "have been vulnerable to exploitation" that could result in the manipulation of votes.

  • The FBI search of the elections hub in Fulton County, Georgia, took place last week.
  • Gabbard wrote a letter to top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees on Monday, providing her first detailed explanation for her presence at the FBI search.

The players

Tulsi Gabbard

Director of National Intelligence who attended the FBI search of the election center in Fulton County, Georgia, at the request of President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump

Former President of the United States who requested Gabbard's presence at the FBI search of the election center in Fulton County, Georgia.

Joe Biden

Democratic candidate who won the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump in Georgia.

Fulton County

The most populous county in Georgia, which votes overwhelmingly Democratic and has been a frequent target of Trump's ire over his 2020 election loss in the state.

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What they’re saying

“While visiting the FBI Field Office in Atlanta, I thanked the FBI agents for their professionalism and great work, and facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally for their work. He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives.”

— Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the FBI to continue its investigation into the 2020 election in Fulton County.

The takeaway

Gabbard's involvement in the FBI search of the Fulton County election center has raised concerns among Democrats that the federal government may be laying the groundwork to cast doubt on the integrity of future elections, despite a lack of evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 or 2024 elections.