ROOKE: Sen. Mark Warner’s Attack On DNI Election Raid Falls Flat
Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner criticized Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard for her presence during the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) execution of a search warrant at Georgia’s Fulton County election center on Wednesday.
Warner said Gabbard “has no business interfering in the election” and warned that her actions should “be of great concern to all Americans.” His attack is another example of how Democrats are ignoring clear federal laws in an effort to control speech.
🚨 Warner SLAMS Tulsi Gabbard: “She’s a person who has no business interfering in elections… If that doesn’t really concern every American, it certainly should.” pic.twitter.com/d9JhWvNfO1
– Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 29, 2026
Federal law explicitly assigns the DNI a leadership role in protecting elections from foreign exploitation. Under 50 USC § 3371d, the DNI oversees counterintelligence matters related to election security, including risk assessment for voting systems, software, voter registration databases, and other infrastructure. Warner’s assertion that Gabbard has “no business” in the election also ignores 50 USC § 3024, which requires all elements of the Intelligence Community (IC) to provide the DNI with access to intelligence necessary for surveillance and integration. (Subscribe to Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)
Warner’s attack presents the DNI investigation as domestic interference, but it is central to the DNI’s counterintelligence tasks. Gabbard’s presence at the Fulton County raid is within her authority as DNI. In fact, it would arguably be neglecting her function if she chose not to participate in the investigation into potential vulnerabilities in the electoral system and election security.
Why is Tulsi Gabbard participating in an FBI raid on a Fulton County election office? pic.twitter.com/46Shpciw08
–Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) January 29, 2026
ODNI regularly collaborates with other agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the FBI, to protect critical election infrastructure. None of this is new. President Joe Biden signed EO 13848 in September 2022, declaring a national emergency regarding foreign interference in U.S. elections. The order tasks the DNI with assessing foreign threats to election security. President Donald Trump extended the EO in August 2025.
Public intelligence and reports confirm how vulnerable U.S. electronic voting systems are to foreign exploitation. Warner’s baseless attacks appear like a deliberate attempt to sow fear and distrust among Americans over a legal attempt to investigate possible election security issues.
There are many reasons to attack the IC over poorly managed investigations. Why choose one where it is clearly incorrect? Ultimately, it is Warner’s misinformation that should worry Americans, because it distracts from the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and protecting our elections from potential adversaries. (ROOKE: Former senator attacks his own generation and his own party)
In 2020, only 59% of voters said the U.S. election went well and was at least somewhat well administered, according to Pew Research. Even though that number has risen to 88% in 2024, Americans still remain uncertain about election security.
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