Georgia
Tulsi Gabbard defends her presence at FBI search of Georgia elections hub
WASHINGTON — Tulsi Gabbard on Monday defended her presence at an FBI search of an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, that has raised questions about her involvement as director of national intelligence.
In a letter to the top Democrats on the House and Senate intelligence committees, Gabbard said she was at the center last week in keeping with U.S. law and her responsibilities as the country’s top intelligence official.
Gabbard stood by her decision not to brief lawmakers about intelligence on possible threats to election security before her trip to Georgia, saying she would not “irresponsibly share incomplete assessments.”
“I will share our intelligence assessments with Congress once they are complete,” she wrote.
Gabbard went on to say she had broad authority as the director of national intelligence to oversee efforts to ensure U.S. elections are secure and to identify and analyze any potential foreign threats to elections or voting systems. In her letter, she acknowledged that she had arranged a call with FBI personnel and President Donald Trump.
Gabbard wrote that she placed a call in Fulton County to allow Trump to express his gratitude to the FBI agents who conducted the search.
“He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives,” Gabbard wrote.
Two sources confirmed the phone call to NBC News on Monday. One source said Trump did not answer initially but eventually called back and briefly spoke with the agents, including the supervisory agent on the case.
The New York Times was first to report the call.
Gabbard said the office of general counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found her actions “to be consistent and well within my statutory authorities as the Director of National Intelligence.”
Monday’s letter — Gabbard’s first direct comments about her actions in Georgia, which have faced criticism as inappropriate in a domestic matter — comes a day after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said “I don’t know why” she was at the FBI’s search.
“She is not part of the grand jury investigation, but she is, for sure, a key part of our efforts at election integrity and making sure that we have free and fair elections,” Blanche said on CNN. “She’s an expert in that space, and it’s a big part of what she and her team look at every day.”
Blanche also said Sunday that he did not believe Trump was involved in the raid, overseen by the FBI and Justice Department. Trump had previously told reporters that federal agents “got into the votes. … You’re going to see some interesting things happening.”
On Friday, Blanche noted that Gabbard “doesn’t work for the Department of Justice or the FBI,” but he said her presence in Georgia is “something that shouldn’t surprise anybody.”
The Georgia raid was related to records from the 2020 presidential election; Fulton County officials have announced plans to sue the Trump administration over the matter. Gabbard’s presence drew scrutiny from national security experts, and it has raised questions about whether Gabbard, who was excluded from the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was seeking relevance in Trump’s eyes.
It would be highly unusual for a director of national intelligence to accompany FBI agents on a raid. In her role, Gabbard oversees the country’s spy agencies and is barred from taking part in domestic law enforcement.
An official at the Office of Director of National Intelligence told NBC News on Monday that Trump requested that Gabbard go to Fulton County and that federal law gives the person in Gabbard’s position the role of leading counterintelligence efforts related to election security and analyzing foreign interference. The FBI’s intelligence and counterintelligence divisions fall under Gabbard’s authority as national intelligence director overseeing the country’s 18 intelligence agencies, the official said.
FBI headquarters, as well as the FBI Atlanta field office, declined to comment.
Raquel Coronell Uribe contributed.
Georgia softball’s season has come to an end in the second game of the NCAA Super Regionals on the road to the Women’s College World Series. The 10-seeded team fell to Tennessee in a best-of-three series, 2-0, Friday, May 22 in Knoxville.
“As I said last night, the thing that’s hard about this time is that you don’t get another week with this group,” head coach Tony Baldwin said. “And this group is everything I could ask for as a coach. What they did to represent our university, our program and our fanbase, that’s what makes it hurt. But it’s a ballgame, and they keep score and we just didn’t do enough to come out on top. Tennessee deserves all the credit for that.”
Baldwin got emotional at the mention of what Team 30 has done for the Classic City in this long haul of a season.
This was the final game in the red and black for seniors Jaydyn Goodwin, Sarah Gordon, Tyler Ellison, Destin Howard and Marisa Miller, who have spent most, if not all, of their collegiate careers wearing the G.
It’s also the final game for players like Natalie Ray and Keirstin Roose, who though they transferred in last summer, have become impact players and people for the Dawgs.
“As I said to the team at the end, I wish I had time to punch into Chat GPT, ‘What’s the right thing to say?’ I don’t know that I have all of that right now,” Baldwin said with Goodwin and Gordon seated beside him at the press table.
“Shorty (Jaydyn Goodwin) has been part of my life since she was 12 years old. My family loves her, the kids love her, she’s like part of my family, and to watch her grow into the strong, confident woman that she is today, who I have coached. I had coaches who did that for me, long time ago, so for 30 years I’ve just been trying to have an impact on people. To be a part of watching her go from little Shorty at 12 years old, to the person who’s a boss on the softball field, and she’s interviewing for jobs, and she’s leaving here a strong, confident woman — she’s been a pain in my ass for a long time, but I’m going to miss that part of it.
“For Gordy (Sarah Gordon), who didn’t start in our program, to watch her growth and belief in herself, to lean on her faith through the hard times and grow into the woman she is today, again, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Bulldogs finish 41-20 overall, narrowly above .500 but off one heck of a run to end the season. They clinched a regular-season series win over a higher-ranked Florida, dominated LSU and Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament and swept the Athens Regional for the first time since 2023.
“I’m remembering that not everyone gets to do this, and although I’ve done it every year, I’m remembering to be grateful to be in this position,” Goodwin said when asked about how proud she is of her time at Georgia. “I committed to being a Bulldog when I was like, 13. It’s going to be weird moving forward, but I’m a Bulldog for life. Forever.
“I’m so thankful the Lord led me to Georgia,” Gordon continued, turning to thank Baldwin personally. “I feel like this is where I was supposed to be. I immediately stepped on campus for my visit, and when I got back in the car with my mom, I told her that.”
While Georgia hasn’t made it past the Super Regionals since 2021 under Lu Harris-Champer, they aren’t allowing themselves to be defined by the outcomes. Baldwin has emphasized that after every win and loss for the last month.
“I know that we get judged by our outcomes, and you play the game for the outcome,” Baldwin said after Thursday’s loss, “but at the end of the day, the thing that I preach all the time is that this is a vehicle for our players to grow … and don’t let outcomes affect how you feel about yourselves.
“I told them before the game that I love them regardless of what happens, and I told them after the game that I love them, not for their outcome, but for their behavior, how they go about doing what they do and how they represent this university.”
The NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional will continue Friday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, hosted by No. 7 national seed Tennessee (46-10). The Lady Vols will face No. 10 national seed Georgia (41-19) in Game 2 of the best-of-three series. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT.
Tennessee won Game 1 on Thursday, 3-1. An if necessary Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. EDT.
Tennessee leads the all-time softball series versus Georgia, 49-41, dating to March 15, 1997. The first game in the series contested in Knoxville was on March 13, 1998.
Below is how to watch information for Tennessee versus Georgia and a softball game schedule for the best-of-three Knoxville Super Regional.
What channel is Tennessee versus Georgia softball on today?
Watch Tennessee live
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2026 NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional softball schedule, TV game times
Thursday, May 21
Gates open at 6 p.m. EDT
7 p.m. EDT – Game 1 (ESPN2)
Friday, May 22
Gates open at 2 p.m. EDT
3 p.m. EDT – Game 2 (ESPN2)
Saturday, May 23 (if necessary)
Gates open at 10 a.m. EDT
11 a.m. EDT – Game 3 (ESPN)
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Town honors veterans with street banners
The town of Senoia is honoring local veterans with commemorative Main Street banners and breaking ground on a new memorial ahead of its weekend summer kickoff celebration.
The city of Senoia is embracing a heavy dose of patriotism by honoring veterans with Main Street banners ahead of a free summer kickoff celebration Saturday.
Honoring Senoia veterans
What we know:
Families purchase light pole banners featuring the names and faces of living and deceased military members. The leftover money from these purchases is funding a new veterans memorial that the city is breaking ground on this week. The city will give the banners back to the families on Veterans Day in November.
Faces on Main Street
What they’re saying:
Stephanie Reeder of the Senoia Downtown Development Authority highlighted specific banners, including Sean and Carlee Bishop. “They met when they were both young and they both have banners up,” Reeder said. “They were both Air Force.”
Reeder also noted that one of the town’s oldest living veterans, who will be 97 next month, is featured on a banner. Senoia Mayor Scott Tigchelaar described the town’s atmosphere as feeling like a Norman Rockwell painting.
“I think it feels a little more like our greatest generation’s generation,” Tigchelaar said. “We’re very patriotic here, and we like to celebrate our veterans.”
Weekend event schedule
Timeline:
The city is hosting a summer kickoff event Saturday featuring live music, food and fireworks at Marimac Lakes Park. Gates for the free, kid-friendly event open at 5 p.m., with food available at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks starting at 9:30 p.m.
The Saturday event is not a Memorial Day service. The official Memorial Day service will take place Monday. More information can be found at www.enjoysenoia.com//events/summer-kick-off.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Stephanie Reeder of the Senoia Downtown Development Authority, who highlighted specific military banners displayed on Main Street, as well as Senoia Mayor Scott Tigchelaar.
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