President Donald Trump has replaced Acting Director of National Intelligence, Stacey Dixon, after rumors emerged that she was trying to derail Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for Director of National Intelligence (DNI). A senior Trump official informed the New York Times that Dixon was asked to leave in order for Trump to appoint someone “who aligns with his priorities.” It was also reported that Dixon had been associated with the DEI initiatives from the Biden administration.
Trump has appointed Lora Shiao to succeed Dixon. Shiao previously served under former Director of National Intelligence Avril D. Haines and was promoted to lead the National Counterterrorism Center by Richard Grenell during Trump’s first administration. Grenell, who was appointed by Trump before his second term, held the role of Presidential Envoy for Special Missions.
According to Ballotpedia, Shiao “worked across the intelligence community with assignments in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense, and other intelligence agencies. She was an intelligence briefer to the attorney general and FBI director from 2005 to 2007.” Allies of President Trump informed the outlet that Dixon had become overly involved in the Biden administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which prioritized diversifying intelligence agencies. Appointed by the Biden administration, Dixon served as the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence in 2021.
Gabbard should be quickly confirmed as the country’s next director of National Intelligence, a top law enforcement organization said earlier this month. In a letter to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kieran Donahue, president of the National Sheriff’s Association and a sheriff from Idaho, urged the Senate to “expeditiously” confirm the U.S. Army Reserve officer and former Democrat from Hawaiit. He emphasized that her confirmation was essential for building greater trust between local law enforcement and the intelligence community. The association represents over 3,000 sheriffs nationwide.
“Ms. Gabbard has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the critical disconnect between our intelligence agencies and local law enforcement in preparing for sophisticated and pervasive threats,” Donahue wrote to Cotton, who heads up the Select Committee on Intelligence. He wrote that the importance of cooperation was evident when sheriffs in Texas and Georgia played a key role in the investigation of the New Orleans terror attack, which resulted in 14 deaths.
“The recent terror attack on New Orleans serves as a stark reminder of the need for seamless coordination. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, actionable leads provided by Sheriffs in Harris County, Texas, and Fulton County, Georgia, proved instrumental,” Donahue said. “These events, like the attacks of 9/11, underscore the urgent need for local law enforcement to have a seat at the table during strategic planning discussions. Ms. Gabbard has pledged to make this a priority.”