Trump, Gabbard purged top CIA Russia expert days after Alaska summit

Source: Washington Post

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Trump, Gabbard purged top CIA Russia expert days after Alaska summit

The CIA officer was due to take up a prestigious assignment in Europe approved by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Instead, her security clearance was summarily revoked.

August 27, 2025 at 6:17 p.m. EDT Today at 6:17 p.m. EDT
8 min

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President Donald Trump holds a photo of himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on Friday. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

By Warren P. Strobel, Ellen Nakashima, Greg Miller and Karen DeYoung

In the days leading up to President Donald Trump's Aug. 15 Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of the CIA's senior-most Russia experts worked grueling hours, helping Trump and his team prepare for high-stakes diplomacy over Ukraine and making sure they were adequately briefed, according to a former agency colleague.

Four days later, the CIA officer -- whom The Washington Post is not naming for her protection -- was at work at the spy agency's Langley headquarters when she was abruptly ordered to report to the security office. She was informed that her clearance to look at classified material was being stripped. In a span of minutes, her 29-year career in public service was essentially over.

The officer had been expecting an imminent move to Europe to take up a prestigious assignment approved by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Instead, she became the latest casualty of a widening cull by Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, fueled at times by far-right activist Laura Loomer, targeting national security professionals whom they deem to have engaged in "politicization or weaponization of intelligence to advance personal, partisan, or non-objective agendas," according to Gabbard's Aug. 19 memo announcing the revocation at Trump's direction of security clearances.

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By Warren P. Strobel, Ellen Nakashima, Greg Miller and Karen DeYoung

https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/warren-p-strobel/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/ellen-nakashima/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/greg-miller/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/karen-deyoung/

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/08/27/cia-officer-russia-trump-gabbard/