DNI Gabbard Declassifies Emails Revealing Clapper's Push for Unanimous 2016 Russia Assessment as a "Team Sport"

Washington, D.C. – Newly declassified emails, released by Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, have brought to light a December 2016 exchange where then-DNI James Clapper urged intelligence chiefs to ensure unanimity on the upcoming Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) regarding Russian election interference. Clapper reportedly emphasized that the assessment "has to be a team sport" and likened the required consensus to "that’s OUR story, and we’re stickin’ to it."

The declassified communications reveal concerns raised by then-National Security Agency (NSA) Director Mike Rogers, who, on December 22, 2016, expressed that his personnel were "not fully comfortable" with the assessment due to insufficient time to review all underlying intelligence. Rogers questioned if NSA was intended to be a co-author and requested access to sensitive evidence if so.

Clapper's response, sent hours before the initial draft of the ICA was due, acknowledged Rogers' concerns but insisted that "more time is not negotiable." He suggested that intelligence agencies "may have to compromise on our ‘normal’ modalities" given the compressed schedule to deliver the report to President Obama before the incoming administration. Journalist Matt Taibbi highlighted this exchange, stating, "THIS IS ONE PROJECT THAT HAS TO BE A TEAM SPORT," quoting Clapper's directive.

DNI Gabbard has framed these declassifications as evidence that the 2017 ICA was "manufactured and politicized." She stated that "the decision to compromise standards and violate protocols in the creation of the 2017 manufactured intelligence assessment was deliberate and came from the very top," asserting that "Clapper’s own words confirm that complying with the order to manufacture intelligence was a ‘team sport.’"

The release of these documents has ignited controversy, with Gabbard and her supporters, including former President Donald Trump, alleging a "treasonous conspiracy" by the Obama administration to undermine Trump's legitimacy. Conversely, critics, including some former intelligence officials and bipartisan reports, argue that such declassifications risk compromising sensitive sources and methods, while reaffirming the core findings of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Justice Department has reportedly launched a grand jury investigation into the origins of the 2016 ICA following these disclosures.