Gabbard's 2026 threat assessment omits election interference for first time since 2017

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard presented the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment to the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 18, omitting any mention of foreign threats to U.S. elections — the first such omission since 2017. Sen. Mark Warner pressed Gabbard directly: "Is there a foreign threat of interference in our elections this year?" Gabbard declined to answer, saying the report only reflects "prioritization of threats." Intelligence officials and former analysts said the omission marked a political departure from the assessment's nine-year track record.