Former Obama CIA Director John Brennan got a dose of reality Thursday at George Mason University — and it’s safe to say he didn’t see it coming.
The architect of some of the most politically tainted intelligence operations in modern history found himself face-to-face with someone who actually understands national security: Thomas Speciale, a national security consultant and former senior advisor to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Brennan was reportedly fuming over Gabbard’s actions after she took over as Director of National Intelligence — and for good reason. She did what he never had the courage or integrity to do: clean house.
When Gabbard declassified key documents exposing the Russia collusion hoax — a political smear Brennan himself helped breathe into life — the former CIA chief lost one of his favorite weapons: secrecy.
Speciale didn’t hold back — and good for him. During a panel featuring Brennan and fellow swamp relic Michael Hayden, he confronted the former CIA director twice and asked the question the media has avoided for years: why on earth was the debunked Steele dossier included in the intelligence community assessment?
Brennan completely lost it:
Last night at a conference with former CIA Director Brennon I confronted him regarding the fake dossier and the Russia Collusion hoax. Listen to his response. Just FYI – I wasn't uninvited to the afterhours. pic.twitter.com/sE96meMpHA
— Thomas A. Speciale II (@Speciale4VA) October 31, 2025
“I don’t know who put you up to this,” he ranted. “I don’t know who you are, but it’s a bunch of bullsh**t that you just passed on.” Speciale replied, “The emails are clear, sir.”
Hayden immediately jumped in to run interference, shouting, “Next! Next! Next!” like a panicked hall monitor trying to shut down the truth. Brennan, visibly rattled, started waving his hand dismissively and sneering that Speciale’s question was “disinformation.”
Later, Speciale confronted Brennan again — this time face-to-face — and asked the question every American has wanted answered: why did Brennan sign the disgraceful letter from 51 former intelligence officials falsely claiming the Hunter Biden laptop had “all the hallmarks of Russian disinformation”?
“Why sign that?” Speciale pressed.
Brennan snapped. He marched up to Speciale, jabbing his finger toward his chest like an angry bureaucrat caught red-handed.
After the conference on Thursday I confronted former CIA Director Brennan directly regarding his signing the 51 Intelligence Officers Memo knowing that the Hunter Biden laptop was real and not Russian disinformation. Watch his response. pic.twitter.com/blg86oBLRb
— Thomas A. Speciale II (@Speciale4VA) November 1, 2025
“And you misrepresented that. We never said it was disinformation. We said it was Russian influence operations, which is what they do. There’s a big difference between influence operations…,” Brennan insisted. But he walked off when Speciale brought up former FBI Director James Comey.
Speciale told the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF), “I wanted answers to basic questions for my own personal interest. These are the people that as career intelligence people we looked up to. Why would you do these things?”
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) has officially referred Brennan to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation, accusing the former CIA director of lying under oath.
According to Jordan’s referral, Brennan falsely denied that the CIA used the discredited Steele dossier in its assessment of alleged Russian interference — a claim that’s now been thoroughly debunked by declassified documents:
Brennan’s assertion that the CIA was not ‘involved at all’ with the Steele dossier cannot be reconciled with the facts. As the newly declassified documents show, a CIA officer drafted the annex containing a summary of the dossier; Brennan made the ultimate decision, along with then-FBI Director James Comey, to include information from the dossier in the ICA; and, as discussed further below, Brennan overruled senior CIA officers who objected to the inclusion of the dossier material.
Looks like Brennan is starting to get nervous.
