Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has accused a reporter for the Washington Post of harassing Gabbard and her staff.
On Thursday, Gabbard blasted Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima for harassing ODNI staffers by calling high-level staffers with a burner phone and refusing to identify herself repeatedly.
In a post to social media, Gabbard stated, "It has come to my attention that Washington Post reporter @nakashimae appears to be actively harassing ODNI staff. Instead of reaching out to my press office, she is calling high-level Intelligence Officers from a burner phone, refusing to identify herself, lying about the fact that she works for the Washington Post, and then demanding they share sensitive information."
However, the plot quickly thickened as Gabbard revealed that she and her family had been harassed in Hawaii, and Gabbard claims that it was Nakashima who was behind that.
Gabbard continued by saying, "This is a clear political op by the same outlet and the same reporter who harassed and stalked my family in Hawaii. This kind of deranged behavior reflects a media establishment so desperate to sabotage @POTUS’s successful agenda that they’ve abandoned even a facade of journalistic integrity and ethics."
Nakashima has become a notorious name for many as she has been one of the Washington Post's most prolific leftists, who is willing to disregard any kind of journalistic ethics in pushing leftist narratives.
Of course, the Washington Post quickly denied the accusations leveled against Nakashima by saying, "For three decades, Ellen Nakashima has been one of the most careful, fair-minded, and highly regarded reporters covering national security. Reaching out to potential sources rather than relying solely on official government press statements regarding matters of public interest is neither nefarious nor is it harassment. It is basic journalism."
Of course, the behavior described by Gabbard is far from a reporter reaching out to individuals working in government. Gabbard's accusations describe a pattern of harassment, not journalistic investigation.
The Washington Post's statement continued by saying, "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, without fear or favor and regardless of party. The Post remains committed to that vital and constitutionally protected work."
It's rich hearing the Washington Post talk about the duty to "hold power to account regardless of party," after years of the Washington Post looking the other way while dysfunction and disaster were the norm under the Biden administration.
Nakashima is going to have to be careful, as leftist journalists will not have carte blanche to engage in unethical behavior without hearing from the Department of Justice.
For years, leftist journalists working for mainstream outlets have enjoyed acting without consequences. With the Trump administration, that is no longer the case as President Trump has made it clear that the mainstream media's typical antics will not be tolerated.
It remains to be seen what kind of criminal case Gabbard could put together against Nakashima, but if accusations of her numerous calls from burner phones and continuous harassment of staffers are true, there is a good chance that the Washington Post might face pressure to get rid of her.
The Trump administration has demonstrated that it is not afraid to use any and all tactics to hit back at the left after years of leftists using underhanded tactics to gain an advantage.
