(José Niño, Headline USA) Daniel Davis, a decorated combat vet and Afghanistan war whistleblower, was reportedly set to become the next Deputy Director of National Intelligence under DNI Tulsi Gabbard.
The news of Davis’s impending appointment excited conservatives and libertarians who favor his non-interventionist approach to foreign policy.
However, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued a statement on Wednesday that Davis had been pulled from consideration.
Davis’ withdrawal came after significant controversy and backlash from hawkish and pro-Zionist individuals and organizations.
He has been openly critical of U.S. military interventions overseas, particularly in the Middle East. He faced backlash for his criticism of Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, describing the U.S.’s support for the war in Gaza as a “stain on our character as a nation.”
Davis’ potential appointment provoked backlash from both sides of the political aisle. Senator Mark Warner, D-VA, called Davis “utterly unqualified” for the role, alluding to his statements about the October 7 attack.
Conservative pundits such as Mark Levin were also critical of Davis’ potential appointment. “Wow. So bizarre. Fighting antisemitism like never before but installing this guy,” Levin stated. “Hard to understand this pick by Gabbard.”
Davis defended himself against Levin’s smear.
Just curious, Mark, what u find problematic with that X post, which i fully stand behind? Is it that u are unconcerned that the former SecState embarrassed the United States with a gross double-standard, undermining our moral authority to hold those who genuinely do bad things to… https://t.co/psgiY4vOUG
— Daniel Davis Deep Dive (@DanielLDavis1) March 12, 2025
“By supporting self-evident double standards and war aims that violate our own laws, we undermine our own security and that of our ally Israel,” he said Wednesday on Twitter/X. “I would argue, Mark, you are neither pro-America nor effectively pro-Israel if you support such actions.”
However, other organizations joined the criticism of Davis, including the Anti-Defamation League, which condemned the potential appointment as “extremely dangerous.” In a post on X, the ADL stated that Davis “diminished Hamas’s 10/7 attack, undermined US support for Israel’s right to defend itself, and blatantly denies the grave threat the Iranian regime poses to global stability and American interests.”
It would be extremely dangerous for Daniel Davis to be the Deputy Director of National Intelligence. He has diminished Hamas’s 10/7 attack, undermined US support for Israel’s right to defend itself, and blatantly denies the grave threat the Iranian regime poses to global… pic.twitter.com/eyQmBFUe7d
— ADL (@ADL) March 12, 2025
Following the intense backlash, Gabbard opted to not proceed with Davis’s appointment.
Davis retired from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Col. after 21 years of active service. He was deployed to combat zones on four separate occasions:
- Deployed to combat zones four times:
- Operation Desert Storm in 1991
- Iraq in 2009
- Afghanistan in 2005 and 2011
Davis made national news in 2009, when he came out as a whistleblower, revealing that top Pentagon officials were lying about the progress they were making in Afghanistan. Davis was proven correct some 10 years later when the Afghanistan Papers were released, which showed that the Pentagon knew the war hadn’t been going well for years.
The Defense Priorities fellow was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor at the Battle of 73 Easting in 1991. He received a second Bronze Star Medal in Afghanistan in 2011.
Davis currently serves as a senior fellow and military expert at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think-tank based in Washington, DC. He is the author of “The Eleventh Hour in 2020 America” and is a regular contributor to major news outlets, including Fox News Channel, BBC World News, CNN, and CNBC.
Kelley Vlahos, a writer for the foreign policy publication Responsible Statecraft, lamented the withdrawal of Davis’s appointment.
“This is the kind of America First guy that the administration needed. He is a Christian conservative with a stern moral compass and had been hopeful for the new administration and its early foreign policy moves,” she wrote on Wednesday.
Mr. Trump, you would've been lucky to have Dan Davis on your team.
so what happened?@KelleyBVlahos https://t.co/8Vh7pjEDqO
— Responsible Statecraft (@RStatecraft) March 13, 2025
“He risked his reputation in 2009, losing out on a typical post-military career in some cushy sinecure mucking it up with other establishmentarians planning the next war, or worse, a board seat at Lockheed or Northrop Grumman. Instead, he has been toiling away at the truth. And this is how the system rewards him. Shame.”
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
