Politico: Trump and Gabbard’s Rift Over Iran Nuclear Threats – The Video That Enraged the President

The question of whether Iran has nuclear weapons was enough to cause a rift between Donald Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, director of U.S. intelligence services. According to Politico, Trump became furious when, at 5:30 PM on June 10th, Gabbard posted an enigmatic three-minute video on X warning that ‘political elites and war profiteers recklessly escalate fear and tensions among nuclear powers’—and that the world stands ‘on the brink of nuclear annihilation.’ This post came shortly after Israeli leaders met with Trump at the White House to pressure him into supporting attacks on Iran. In Trump’s eyes, Gabbard was cautioning against giving Israel the green light to strike Iran. An administration official stated that while Trump may not dislike Gabbard personally, the video cooled his relationship with her and he dislikes being corrected. Trump’s reaction highlights the divide between a president leaning toward supporting Israel’s conflict and an intelligence chief historically opposed to U.S. involvement in foreign wars. Despite Gabbard’s past support for Trump during his campaign, their positions appear to have diverged significantly. Tensions escalated further when Trump dismissed Gabbard’s March statement before Congress that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon, suggesting Iran was close to obtaining one. Reports indicate Trump has considered eliminating Gabbard’s position entirely. Both sides insist they remain aligned, but the potential for rivalry looms as both consider running in 2028, possibly with Iran remaining central to their disagreements.