President Donald Trump raised eyebrows when asked about his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, revealing clear differences in their views on Iran. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “Sure. She’s a little bit different in her thought process than me but that doesn’t make somebody not available to serve.”
According to The Daily Beast, he then got straight to the point about their policy differences, saying, “I would say that I’m very strong on the fact that I don’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I think she’s probably a little bit softer on that issue, but that’s okay, some people are, most people aren’t.”
Gabbard has been under intense scrutiny for weeks, given her historical anti-war stance and the ongoing conflict with Iran. She admitted during a House committee meeting earlier this month that her personal views on the war must be “checked at the door” when delivering intelligence reports.
Gabbard’s position looks increasingly weak as scrutiny and internal dissent grow
During that same hearing on March 19, Gabbard was questioned about a statement she made during her 2020 presidential campaign, where she warned that a war with Iran would be catastrophic, making conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan “look like a picnic.”
When pressed, she said, “In this role, it is essential that I do not allow any of my personal views on any of these issues to color or bias any of the intelligence reporting that we deliver to you and to the president.”
She also struggled when asked about the potential threat from Iran, claiming, “The only person who can determine what is and isn’t an imminent threat is the president.” Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff quickly pushed back, reminding her, “It is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the United States.”
Trump has shown a similar pattern of dismissing serious investigations as political hoaxes in other controversies as well. Shortly after that committee meeting, conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly predicted Gabbard would not stay in her position much longer.
He stated, “I don’t particularly care about Tulsi Gabbard and whatever she’s doing. I know she has a title there, but I also know she was not involved with the Iranian situation at all. Ratcliffe and his CIA run that show.”
O’Reilly explained further, saying, “The reason that Ms. Gabbard was not involved was that she opposed Venezuela. She opposed going in and removing Maduro. Once she did that, she lost all credibility with Donald Trump. Now, why she’s still there, I don’t know. She won’t be there much longer, and that DNI doesn’t have any power right now in the Iranian situation.”
Trump’s broader foreign policy approach, including his strategy of pressuring allies and reshaping NATO, shows how he tends to sideline those who don’t fully align with his agenda. Gabbard’s troubles were compounded when one of her senior aides, Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on March 17, citing his opposition to the Iran war.
Published: Mar 30, 2026 01:05 pm