Stop this ‘footsie’: Tulsi Gabbard scorched for weird nuclear warning now that, like, actual nuclear war is on the line

Tim Dillon isn’t buying Tulsi Gabbard’s cryptic cautionary tales — especially now that the U.S. appears to be stumbling into an actual war with Iran.

The comedian and political commentator blasted Gabbard on his show this week, calling out her unsettling recent message about Hiroshima and nuclear war.

Gabbard’s anti-nuclear X post

Gabbard’s Hiroshima video, posted to her X account on June 11, now seems less like a general call for nuclear awareness and more like a cryptic warning — especially in light of the Trump administration’s surprise strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities a few weeks later.

As reported by ABC News, Gabbard, who currently serves as Director of National Intelligence, filmed the three-minute video during a visit to Hiroshima, Japan, where she reflected on the “haunting sadness” left in the wake of the 1945 atomic bombing.

The footage shows Gabbard moving through memorial landmarks, overlaid with stark narration about how the United States is “closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.” The video even includes a simulated nuclear strike on San Francisco, complete with the destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge — a detail that’s grown far more chilling now that the world is again bracing for potential escalation in the Middle East.

At the time, the post was widely seen as a somber but vague reminder of history. Now, some wonder if Gabbard was trying to signal something darker, constrained by her official role and the delicate timing before a major international strike.

Her call to “reject this path to nuclear war” and demand action from “political elites and warmongers” has taken on new meaning — and raised even more questions about what she knew and when.

Dillon: You don’t get to post spooky photos and walk away

Now, Dillon has no patience for riddles. “You’re in the thing now,” he said bluntly to Gabbard, on his show. ” This is what these people have to stop doing. I understand that you’re going against the deep state.” He added, “This is some free advice. I know that she watches sometimes. So I’m with you, sister, friend – Aloha! – but you’re in the thing, you got to start calling people out. Name names. Stop this f—ing footsie

It’s a criticism Gabbard has faced before: she hints at powerful shadow actors, references “permanent government” operations, and warns of creeping authoritarianism — but rarely offers specifics.

Dillon, who’s been sympathetic to anti-establishment figures in the past, seemed exasperated. “We’re on the verge of war with Iran.” China’s flexing on Taiwan. Russia and Ukraine are still going at it. This isn’t a time for coded language and social media activism. Dillon said: Speak plainly or don’t speak at all.

When vibes aren’t enough

Dillon also speculated that Gabbard — like other conservative-adjacent figures such as Dan Bongino and Kash Patel — has access to information the public doesn’t. “If you’re going to get whacked for saying the truth, you better say the truth and get whacked. That’s what you got elected to do. You didn’t get elected to write a book or to go out clubbing or whatever the hell you’re all doing.”

The eerie timing of Gabbard’s Hiroshima post now reads less like a general warning about nuclear war and more like a potential dog whistle that something big was coming. Whether that’s the case or not, Dillon says, is part of the problem: Was that post her way of telling us something was about to go down with Iran? Then why not just say it? Why the theatrics?

Dillon’s broader frustration is aimed at what he sees as performative politics from people who claim to oppose the establishment but hesitate to expose it.

Theatrics at the edge of war

As the fallout from Trump’s strike on Iran grows and fears of international retaliation mount, Gabbard’s moment of somber reflection feels less inspiring than suspiciously calculated. Dillon’s point is harsh but clear: cryptic tweets and solemn images don’t cut it when the stakes are nuclear.

“If people are trying to start a nuclear war – arrest them,” Dillon said. “Tell us who they are. I know it’s more complicated than this, but here’s the deal: you can’t have the benefit of the doubt anymore if you’re in the thing.”