Operation Mockingbird: DNI Gabbard Moves to Dismantle CIA’s Covert Propaganda Network [WATCH]

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has called for a full dismantling of what she identifies as remnants of the CIA’s Cold War-era Operation Mockingbird, an alleged propaganda network that she claims continues to influence media coverage and public perception, particularly in matters involving President Donald Trump.

Gabbard, a former Democratic presidential candidate who was appointed DNI under the Trump administration, has been increasingly vocal about her concerns that certain media outlets remain compromised by intelligence community influence.

She specifically referenced Operation Mockingbird, a CIA program first exposed in the 1970s, which involved embedding journalists in newsrooms around the world to distribute government-approved narratives.

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Operation Mockingbird was originally launched in the late 1940s as an anti-Soviet initiative.

It gained significant attention during the mid-1970s when the Church Committee—led by Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho)—investigated and exposed surveillance and propaganda activities conducted by multiple U.S. intelligence agencies.

These included the CIA, FBI, and NSA. The committee’s findings detailed a pattern of unauthorized wiretapping, harassment, and surveillance of American citizens, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The Church Committee’s 1976 “Final Report on Foreign and Military Intelligence” documented efforts by the CIA to influence domestic and international news through a network of journalists and editors.

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According to the report, at one point the CIA had relationships with approximately 400 media professionals worldwide.

Although the program was reportedly discontinued following the committee’s investigation, Gabbard has argued that elements of Mockingbird have continued without formal oversight.

In recent remarks, she accused the intelligence community of ongoing efforts to manipulate media narratives, especially those related to President Trump and conservative figures.

Gabbard’s claims have been echoed by other officials aligned with President Trump.

During recent briefings, she pointed to the spread of misinformation as a systemic problem and called for increased transparency from intelligence agencies about any present-day media ties or influence operations.

She has also declassified several documents from earlier investigations, including House Intelligence Committee materials dating back to 2020, to support her claims of media manipulation originating from federal intelligence entities.

These documents, she argues, reveal an entrenched culture of using media outlets to disseminate misleading information for political purposes.

Former CIA Director John Brennan has also faced renewed scrutiny over past actions.

Brennan, who led the agency during the Obama administration, has been a frequent public critic of President Trump and was closely connected to the early development of the Trump-Russia narrative.

Gabbard’s efforts come amid wider declassification initiatives by senior Trump administration officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel, who have pledged to release documents exposing misconduct related to the Trump-Russia investigation.

Patel recently stated that “smoking gun evidence” demonstrates that the Clinton campaign manufactured the Russia collusion narrative.

In Gabbard’s view, addressing the legacy and possible continuation of programs like Operation Mockingbird is essential to restoring public trust.

She emphasized the importance of rooting out covert influence in the media and called for structural reforms to ensure that intelligence agencies remain within legal and constitutional limits.

As part of her tenure as Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard has prioritized transparency in intelligence operations and declassification of historical documents that shed light on past abuses.

Her office has indicated that further materials related to Cold War-era operations and post-9/11 intelligence policies may be released in the coming months.