US intel chief Tulsi Gabbard rules out foreign threat to November elections

US President Donald Trump’s spy chief told lawmakers on Wednesday that the US intelligence community sees no foreign threat to the upcoming November congressional elections, dismissing fears of outside interference despite past reports showing efforts by foreign powers to sway American voters.At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard denied the existence of any credible foreign threat to the midterm elections, saying that while the intelligence community continues to monitor all relevant information, it has found “none” so far. Democratic senator Mark Warner of Virginia, vice‑chair of the panel, said this was the first time since 2017 that the annual US threat assessment did not mention any foreign election interference.“Are you saying there is no foreign threat to our elections in the midterms this year?” Warner asked Gabbard during the session, Reuters reported.Gabbard replied, “The intelligence community has been and continues to remain focused on any collection and intelligence that show a potential foreign threat. So far, there has been none.”Warner criticised intelligence agencies for not responding to repeated committee requests for briefings on foreign threats ahead of November’s elections. He also sharply attacked Gabbard’s actions connected with domestic election matters.According to Warner, Gabbard has involved herself in issues like the seizure of voting machines in Georgia and Puerto Rico, which he described as unrelated to foreign influence.Gabbard was present earlier this year at an FBI raid on an election facility in Georgia, saying she attended at the request of Donald Trump and within her authority.Warner called out the absence of any foreign connection to justify the involvement of the nation’s top spy, saying the FBI warrant stemmed from “a slop of debunked conspiracy theories.”He further suggested that diverting national security resources to domestic issues could undermine constitutional processes.The US has previously accused Russia, China and Iran of seeking to influence American elections, with Russian interference in 2016 widely documented by intelligence agencies and congressional inquiries.