Tulsi Gabbard vs Donald Trump: 10 points to look at POTUS feuding with intel chief
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Tulsi Gabbard vs Donald Trump: 10 points to look at POTUS feuding with intel chief
Tulsi Gabbard shared a cryptic three-minute video on 10 June, warning that “political elite and warmongers” were “carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers” Trump saw it as a direct challenge? The video, posted without prior clearance, didn’t sit well with Trump. “Many took that video as trying to correct the administration’s position,” said a senior administration official. Trump appears to be leaning toward backing Israel against Iran. Tulsi, however, has warned against U.S. involvement. Whether she stays in Trump’s administration may hinge on how the Iran crisis unfolds. She was even accommodated for a Situation Room meeting on Iran. But insiders say, “Just because you’re here doesn’ve done a great job”
Earlier, Trump said he and Tulsi are aligned on Iran; however, later, he said he did not “care” what the Director of National Intelligence had to say.
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Here are 10 key points to understand what’s going on between the president and his outspoken spy chief:
1. A 5:30 AM tweet started it all
Tulsi shared a cryptic three-minute video on 10 June, warning that “political elite and warmongers” were “carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers,” putting the world “on the brink of nuclear annihilation.” Trump saw it as a direct challenge?
2. Trump was furious
The video, posted without prior clearance, didn’t sit well with Trump. “Many took that video as trying to correct the administration’s position,” said a senior administration official, per Politico. Trump even personally expressed his displeasure to Gabbard, according to sources.
3. Clashing on Iran
Trump appears to be leaning toward backing Israel against Iran. Tulsi, however, has warned against U.S. involvement.
4. Trump snaps on Air Force One
When asked about Tulsi’s March testimony that Iran isn’t seeking a nuclear weapon, Trump replied, “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having a weapon.”
5. Trump-Tulsi relationship has soured
“I don’t think he dislikes Tulsi as a person … But certainly the video made him not super hot on her,” said an administration official. Another added Trump thinks she “doesn’t add anything to any conversation.”
6. Tulsi says they’re aligned
She insists there’s no feud. “President Trump was saying the same thing that I said in my annual threat assessment back in March,” she told reporters. A Gabbard ally claimed she and Trump are “on the same page” about Iran.
7. She’s still in the White House, for now?
Tulsi continues to attend briefings. She was even accommodated for a Situation Room meeting on Iran. But insiders say, “Just because you’re here doesn’t mean that you’re doing a great job.”
8. Camp David snub fuels speculation
Steve Bannon pointed out Tulsi wasn’t invited to a recent key Camp David meeting on Iran. “You know why … This is a regime change effort,” Tucker Carlson replied.
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9. Several came to Tulsi’s defence
Vice President JD Vance called her “a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of President Trump, and a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024.”
10. A 2028 tease?
Tulsi told Megyn Kelly she wouldn’t rule out a 2028 presidential run. Whether she stays in Trump’s administration may hinge on how the Iran crisis unfolds.