WaPo Pushes Back On Tulsi Gabbard’s Charges
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Post has pushed back firmly against allegations made by Tulsi Gabbard, who claimed that one of its national security reporters was “harassing” staffers at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which she heads.
In a post on X on July 3, Gabbard accused veteran journalist Ellen Nakashima of using a burner phone, hiding her identity, and demanding classified information from intelligence officials. “Instead of reaching out to my press office,” she wrote, Nakashima was “actively harassing ODNI staff,” and “lying about the fact that she works for the Washington Post.”
Gabbard further alleged that the outreach was politically motivated: “This is a clear political op by the same outlet and the same reporter who harassed and stalked my family in Hawaii.”
In response, The Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray dismissed Gabbard’s accusations, calling them “unfounded” and a fundamental mischaracterization of legitimate journalism. “Reaching out to potential sources rather than relying solely on official government press statements regarding matters of public interest is neither nefarious nor harassment. It is basic journalism,” Murray said in a statement.
“DNI Gabbard’s unfounded personal attack reflects a fundamental misunderstanding about the role of journalists to report on government officials and hold power to account,” he added, reaffirming the paper’s commitment to constitutionally protected reporting.
Gabbard also suggested that Nakashima’s inquiries might be linked to The Post’s previous reporting on Pentagon assessments involving Iran’s nuclear facilities. “Apparently, publishing leaked classified material wasn’t enough for the Washington Post, so now they’ve decided to go after the Intelligence professionals charged to protect it,” she wrote, referencing earlier national security scoops that drew sharp criticism from the Trump administration.
While the Trump-era Justice Department publicly floated legal action over similar stories by CNN and The New York Times, all the news outlets involved stood by their coverage. According to The Daily Beast, Gabbard’s latest attack fits into a broader pattern of hostility toward the press—particularly from Trump allies and figures aligned with his second-term agenda.
In fact, The Daily Beast notes that Trump’s legal and rhetorical assaults on journalism have only intensified since his return to the White House. Even the editorial board of the conservative Wall Street Journal criticized him on July 2, after a $16 million settlement with Paramount over a defamation case many experts described as frivolous. The board called Trump’s attempts to “use the government to intimidate news outlets” a “low move.”
As The Daily Beast observes, Gabbard’s claims—despite lacking corroboration—are emblematic of a political climate where press freedom is increasingly under threat from lawsuits, misinformation, and strategic intimidation.
