Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard spoke about her first months in the job revealing that her biggest surprise in the job was the previous administration’s emphasis on promoting DEI.

Gabbard spoke about her job with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on the show Fox and Friends on Friday, who asked Gabbard what the most surprising detail she had discovered since taking office.

‘Obviously the DEI stuff has been a huge distraction,’ she replied, referring to former President Joe Biden‘s administration’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.

‘I have had employees come and talk to me and say they were expected to spend half of their day within the intelligence community focused on DEI work,’ Gabbard said.

She indicated that the intense requirements from the previous administration on the issue was distracting intelligence agencies from their primary goal.

‘We can understand why the capabilities in some cases were so degraded,’ she wrote.

On Wednesday, Gabbard announced efforts to refer three intelligence officials to the Department of Justice after they were suspected of leaking classified information to the New York Times and The Washington Post.

‘Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation’s security at risk and must end,’ Gabbard said.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is shown at the entrance of the CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia,
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The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is shown at the entrance of the CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia,

Trump campaigned on rooting out DEI programs out of government agencies.

On his first day as president, Trump signed an executive order to end DEI programs in the federal government, noting the efforts had ‘demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination.’

‘Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great,’ the order read.

Trump directed the federal government not to base their recruitment, hiring, or promotions based on ‘race, color, religion, sex or national origin.’

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) speaks after she took the Oath of Office in the Oval Office
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Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) speaks after she took the Oath of Office in the Oval Office

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) appears before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
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Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) appears before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

‘President Trump believes that hiring in all parts of government should be based solely on merit,’ the White House noted, adding that he wanted to restore ‘individual dignity, hard work, and excellence’ into government employment.

Trump’s efforts have faced judicial attempts to stall enforcement of his priorities.

A federal judge blocked Trump’s efforts to fire more than a dozen employees in the intelligence agencies who were hired to work on DEI programs.

U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga granted a preliminary injunction to block firing the employees on the grounds that they should be able to seek reassignment or appeal the decision.