{"id":2581386,"date":"2026-03-18T15:39:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T19:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gabbard-and-patel-deny-knowledge-of-trump-emergency-election-order-plans\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T15:42:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T19:42:46","slug":"gabbard-and-patel-deny-knowledge-of-trump-emergency-election-order-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gabbard-and-patel-deny-knowledge-of-trump-emergency-election-order-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabbard and Patel deny knowledge of Trump emergency election order plans"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgabbard-and-patel-deny-knowledge-of-trump-emergency-election-order-plans%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2581386&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>During the Senate Intelligence Committee&#8217;s worldwide threats hearing, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Deputy Director Kash Patel said they were unaware of any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnns-cooper-reported-trump-draft-order-to-seize-voting-machines-is-batsh-t\/\" title=\"CNN&#039;s Cooper: Reported Trump Draft Order to Seize Voting Machines Is &#039;Batsh-t&#039;\">draft executive order<\/a> to seize ballots or invoke federal powers over elections, despite reports about such plans tied to Donald Trump. Senator Mark Warner pressed both officials on possible drafts-one connected to 2020 election interference and another reportedly being prepared for 2026 citing China-asking if they had knowlege of them. Patel and Gabbard denied knowledge of any such drafts. Gabbard discussed her Fulton County visit during an FBI operation to seize 2020 election ballots, saying she did not participate in law enforcement activities and was present to observe at the president\u2019s request, with the FBI truck she was photographed near reportedly empty of ballots. Warner challenged her authority to involve herself in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-intelligence-community-shift-from-external-to-internal-threats-has-critics-worried\/\" title=\"Report: ... Community shift from external to internal \u2018threats\u2019 has critics worried\">domestic law enforcement<\/a>, while Gabbard asserted her role concerned election security and counterintelligence within ODNI\u2019s mandate; her spokeswoman later accused Warner of spreading falsehoods about the ODNI.The hearing ended for a closed session after a discussion that included questions about the ODNI\u2019s structure and foreign election threats.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Gabbard and Patel deny knowledge of Trump emergency election order plans<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2497701\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Director of National Intelligence <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tulsi-gabbard\/\">Tulsi Gabbard<\/a> and FBI Director <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kash-patel\/\">Kash Patel<\/a> told senators Wednesday that they were unaware of any draft executive order tied to reported plans for President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> to invoke emergency powers over elections ahead of the midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p>The exchange came during the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate-intelligence-committee\/\">Senate Intelligence Committee<\/a>&rsquo;s worldwide threats hearing, where Vice Chairman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mark-warner\/\">Mark Warner<\/a> (D-VA) pressed both officials over reports that Trump allies are circulating a draft order citing Chinese interference in the 2020 election as grounds for declaring a national emergency.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4495035\/ruling-women-spa-transgender-lawfare\/\">Why the ruling in a women&rsquo;s spa case marks a turning point in transgender lawfare<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4494832\/attorneys-trump-pardon-applies-jan-6-pipe-bomber\/\">&#8216;Like it or not&#8217;: Attorneys say Trump pardon applies to Jan. 6 pipe bomber<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4494006\/doj-asks-appeals-court-to-allow-detention-of-hamas-praising-foreign-researcher\/\">DOJ asks appeals court to allow detention of Hamas-praising foreign researcher<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe testify before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. (Graeme Jennings \/ Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;There were reports that in 2020 the president was preparing an executive order potentially seize ballots or bring in federal forces,&rdquo; Warner said, citing a recent Washington Post report about <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/02\/26\/trump-elections-executive-order-activists\/\">conservative legal advocates<\/a> pushing the president to craft such an order.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Warner said, &ldquo;There is a published report that there is a similar EO being drafted right now about 2026 citing <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\">China<\/a>. Director Patel, do you have any knowledge of that draft EO?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Patel replied, &ldquo;Thank you, vice chairman. I do not, sir.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kash Patel speaks before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. (Graeme Jennings \/ Washington Examiner). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Warner then turned to Gabbard, asking whether she had any knowledge of such a draft. &ldquo;I do not,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>The exchange added to an already tense start to the hearing in which Warner accused Gabbard of failing to provide the committee with legally required reports on foreign interference threats tied to U.S. elections. The conversation later turned to Warner&rsquo;s concerns about her surprise January appearance in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fulton-county\/\">Fulton County<\/a>, Georgia, during an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4453284\/fulton-county-fbi-raid-prompted-by-kurt-olsen-criminal-referral\/\">FBI operation to seize 2020 election ballots.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Warner argued that the ballot seizure involved no demonstrated foreign nexus and was instead rooted in &ldquo;conspiracy theories that have already been examined and rejected repeatedly.&rdquo; He asked Gabbard what authority allowed her to insert herself into what he described as a domestic law enforcement matter.<\/p>\n<p>Gabbard, who was spotted at the raid scene sporting a black baseball cap and dark coat, pushed back against the chairman&rsquo;s assertion, saying his characterization was false.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WARNER: Where is the authority for you to involve yourself in a domestic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/d-c-national-guard-left-unarmed-at-request-of-d-c-mayor-amid-potential-unrest-after-chauvin-verdict\/\" title=\"D.C. National Guard Left Unarmed At ... Of D.C. Mayor Amid Potential Unrest After Chauvin Verdict\">law enforcement activity<\/a> in Georgia?<\/p>\n<p>TULSI GABBARD: I did not participate in a law enforcement activity<\/p>\n<p>WARNER: You were on the scene. Are the photos false?<\/p>\n<p>GABBARD: I was in Fulton County at the request&hellip; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c1fInzb211\">pic.twitter.com\/c1fInzb211<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/atrupar\/status\/2034283919835578399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I did not participate in a law enforcement activity,&rdquo; Gabbard said, adding she was present in Fulton County only &ldquo;to observe the FBI&rsquo;s activities&rdquo; at the president&rsquo;s request. She added that election security and counterintelligence responsibilities fall within ODNI&rsquo;s mandate and said she was unaware of the contents of the warrant.<\/p>\n<p>Later in the hearing, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) pressed Gabbard further on her role in the Fulton County operation, including her acknowledgment that Trump directly requested her presence on the day the warrant was executed.<\/p>\n<p>Gabbard again said she was tasked with helping &ldquo;oversee&rdquo; aspects of the operation alongside FBI leadership, though she maintained her role fell within her statutory oversight of election security and counterintelligence.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, left, and FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, enter a command vehicle as the FBI takes Fulton County 2020 Election ballots, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga., near Atlanta. (AP Photo\/Mike Stewart)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ossoff also questioned whether she had any direct interaction with ballots or election materials, noting she had been photographed inside an FBI evidence truck. Gabbard said the truck was empty and that her photographed did not indicate she handled any materials.<\/p>\n<p>In an online post during the hearing, Gabbard spokeswoman Alexa Henning accused Warner of spreading falsehoods, particularly over his claim that ODNI had eliminated the office responsible for monitoring foreign election threats.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4495434\/watch-live-tulsi-gabbard-testimony-senate-global-threats\/\">WATCH LIVE: TULSI GABBARD TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE ON GLOBAL THREATS TO US<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;All @MarkWarner does is lie,&rdquo; Henning <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/alexahenning\/status\/2034272523026624967\">wrote on X<\/a>, saying the Foreign Malign Influence Center had not been eliminated but instead folded into ODNI&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >broader mission integration structure<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The public hearing concluded at around 12:30 local time on Wednesday, after which lawmakers left to reconvene for the closed session of the hearing slated to start around 1 p.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gabbard, Patel deny knowledge of Trump EO plans<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2581387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0A7A4994-e1773857158456.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[76086,51130,51054,3634],"class_list":["post-2581386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-emergency-orders-2","tag-gabbard-2","tag-patel-2","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0A7A4994-e1773857158456.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581386"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581390,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581386\/revisions\/2581390"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2581387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}