Washington Post Slams Tulsi Gabbard for ‘Unfounded Personal Attack’ on Reporter She Accused of ‘Harassing’ Staffers for a Story
(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
The Washington Post on Thursday stood by one its reporters after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accused her of “harassing” staffers.
On Thursday morning, Gabbard — in a post on X — claimed The Washington Post’s Ellen Nakashima was “actively harassing ODNI staff.” Gabbard added that Nakashima was “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.”
“Apparently, publishing leaked classified material wasn’t enough for the Washington Post,” Gabbard continued, “so now they’ve decided to go after the Intelligence professionals charged to protect it.
“This is a clear political op by the same outlet and the same reporter who harassed and stalked my family in Hawaii.”
Hours later, the communications department of The Washington Post defended Nakashima’s alleged actions as “basic journalism” and called Gabbard’s attack “unfounded”:
“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. 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.”
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