Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said that a scheduled intelligence meeting was canceled after interference from right-wing activist Laura Loomer.
Warner, the Senate Intelligence Committee vice chairman, said Wednesday that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency visit scheduled for Friday was called off after Loomer publicly attacked him and the NGA’s director, Vice Adm. Frank “Trey” Whitworth, NBC News reported.
“This is the kind of thing that happens in authoritarian regimes,” Warner said.
Loomer, who does not have an official position in the Trump administration, took credit for the meeting cancelation on Tuesday.
“Following my expose of Biden appointed NGA Director Trey Whitworth, who was Mark Milley’s handpicked Director for NGA @NGA_GEOINT, Whitworth’s scheduled September 5th fireside love fest with anti-Trump Democrat Senator @MarkWarner Mark Warner has been CANCELED!” Loomer posted on X.
“How can a Biden appointee and someone with such bad judgement that they would invite a rabid Trump hater and Russia Hoaxer like Mark Warner to speak at NGA be allowed to remain in their job, especially under the Trump administration? @PeteHegseth should fire Trey Whitworth for insubordination.”
Warner first mentioned the incident late Tuesday, saying it was a “nakedly political decision” that “undermines the dedicated, nonpartisan staff at NGA.”
He said that the meeting was canceled by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office, not the National Geospatial Agency leadership.
Warner added that he was told that such visits needed to be “bipartisan” and not carried out by a member of one political party.
A Defense Department official said that “the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency visit was rescheduled, not canceled, in order to accommodate bipartisan participation in the town hall event.”
“If none of my Republican colleagues raise an issue, does this mean we are ceding all oversight?” Warner said.
“You have almost a caricature of a right wing blogger calling the shots on intel and national security,” he said, referring to Loomer, adding, “It’s insane. It’s totally insane.”
The meeting at NGA was also classified, which Warner said meant that someone had leaked the information to Loomer.
“How did a trolling blogger get access that there was a classified meeting going on?” Warner said.
Warner added that he had not yet had a chance to discuss the matter with Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
The Democrat said he believes he was blocked from meeting NGA leaders and employees “because I’ve consistently stood up for the independence of the intel workforce, that they should not have to cook the books to create intel that’s favorable for this administration.”
Warner also said that he has routinely visited the offices of intelligence agencies under both Republican and Democratic presidents — including during President Trump’s first term — and that the visits were never questioned before.
