Tulsi Gabbard's team shuts down 'CIA raid' claim after viral intelligence office rumor

WASHINGTON, DC: A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard moved quickly on Wednesday, May 13, to knock down a fast-moving claim that the Central Intelligence Agency had carried out a raid on her office, calling the allegation flatly false as the story began spreading across conservative media and social platforms.

The denial came after a television clip and online posts suggested intelligence officers had removed sensitive files tied to the Assassination of John F Kennedy and Project MKUltra.

A viral claim sparks confusion

The controversy erupted after television host Jesse Watters amplified claims suggesting the CIA had entered the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and removed boxes of classified material.

The allegation quickly gained traction online, with users speculating that documents connected to the Kennedy assassination and the CIA’s infamous MK-Ultra program were being quietly pulled from review.

But within hours, the narrative began to unravel. Olivia Coleman, a spokesperson for Gabbard’s office, publicly rejected the claim in blunt terms.

“This is false,” Coleman wrote online. “The CIA did not raid the DNI’s office.”

Her response directly contradicted the viral reporting and appeared to trigger an immediate cleanup effort.

The original clip spreading the allegation was later removed from social media, fueling even more speculation about how the story took off in the first place.

The claim itself appears to have stemmed from comments made by Anna Paulina Luna, who, during a television interview, referenced concerns raised by a whistleblower involving intelligence files allegedly tied to declassification efforts.

But she later pushed back on claims that she ever alleged a raid on Gabbard’s office.

She added that her concerns centered on preserving records and resolving conflicting accounts between intelligence agencies, not accusing Gabbard or CIA Director John Ratcliffe of misconduct.

The deeper fight over declassification

The flare-up comes against the backdrop of renewed pressure inside Washington over long-classified intelligence records.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for expanded transparency surrounding historic intelligence files, including records connected to President Kennedy’s assassination and Cold War covert programs.

Those directives reignited longstanding debates over whether every relevant document has truly been released, especially concerning MK-Ultra.

Luna, who has taken an active interest in intelligence oversight, suggested that under-oath whistleblower testimony had raised questions about whether certain records were fully accounted for.

For now, the intelligence chief’s team appears determined to shut down any suggestion of internal conflict, even as questions over historic CIA records continue to generate fresh political friction in Washington.