Some in President Donald Trump’s orbit are speculating that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has put herself “in the line of fire” as he searches for the party responsible for leaking classified U.S. intelligence about the bombs dropped on Iran.
Days of vehement opposition to reporting by CNN and the New York Times suggest that Trump is angrier than normal about the leak of a study claiming that a dozen 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs achieved nothing to halt Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. He has pointed fingers at members of Congress and claimed that the White House will no longer provide as frequent briefings on military operations.
According to sources who spoke to the Daily Mail, Trump’s obsession with Gabbard shows that some of the individuals he previously trusted may be participating.
Gabbard was sidelined before a briefing to Congress on the attack. According to Trump officials, Gabbard will not be there on Thursday when representatives give evidence that Operation Midnight Hammer resulted in the “total obliteration” of Iran’s three nuclear installations.
Gabbard was scheduled to attend the briefing alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
“It’s always important in the Trump script, the fallback is always who to blame, who to blame. Just have to have someone to blame. Tulsi is in the line of fire,” Trump biographer Michael Wolff said about Gabbard’s predicament.
Wolff added: “There is an investigation that is going on. They will try to find someone to blame. Within the White House, within the West Wing, what they are saying as of this morning, who this is being pinned on, is Tulsi.”
Despite Wolff’s assessment of Gabbard’s situation, an administration insider told the outlet that the media is “turning this into something it’s not.”
Perhaps feeling a threat to her career chances, Gabbard defended Trump, Rubio, and Hegseth in rebutting the CNN piece and criticizing journalists like Kaitlan Collins for disrespecting American troops in their reporting.
“New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed,” she wrote on social media.
“If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do.”
In a statement, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended Gabbard when asked about the leak.
“President Trump has full confidence in his entire exceptional national security team,” he told the Daily Mail. “DNI Gabbard is an important member of the President’s team, and her work continues to serve him and this country well.”
President Trump was speaking with reporters Friday when he publicly upbraided Gabbard for saying that U.S. intelligence “continues to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.”
Pressed by a reporter to respond, Trump replied, “She’s wrong.”
Gabbard responded on social media later in the day, likewise lashing out at the media.
“The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division,” she wrote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine are having a press conference at the Pentagon. I’ll bring you any news updates here.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that on Monday morning, they received “indications and warnings that Iran intended to attack US bases in the region” and evacuated the majority of their people.
“I want to read some of the assessment and assessments provided. Whether fake news, CNN, MSNBC or New York Times, there has been fawning coverage of preliminary assessment. I have not had a chance to read it, every outlet reported on preliminary assessment from DIA. I’m looking at it right now, preliminary, day and a half after the actual strike, it admits it requires 82s weeks to aaccumulate necessary data, it is preliminary,” Hegseth said.
“It points out it is not coordinated with the intelligence community at all, there is low-confidence in this report, its there are gaps in information and says multiple linchpin assumptions are what this is, that means your entire premise is predicateod a linchpin. If you are wrong, everything else is wrong. This report acknowledges likely severe damage. Leaked because someone had agenda to muddy water and make it look like this historic strike wasn’t successful. Get to the chairman in a moment, he will layout the particulars for you based on his professional military experience,” Hegseth added.