Trump Dismisses Gabbard’s Claims: Iran Building Nuclear Weapon

An escalating internal conflict within the U.S. administration over Iran’s nuclear capabilities has resurfaced, with President Donald Trump once again challenging the stance of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard. On Friday (June 20, 2025), Trump stated that Gabbard was mistaken in asserting there is no evidence of Iran constructing a nuclear weapon. Speaking to reporters at Morristown Airport in New Jersey, Trump criticized intelligence assessments released earlier this year by Gabbard, which concluded that Tehran is not developing nuclear arms. ‘She’s wrong,’ Trump declared. In March, Gabbard reported to Congress that the U.S. intelligence community still believed Iran was not building a nuclear weapon. However, in a recent X post, she wrote that while Iran could potentially develop such a weapon within weeks to months if they decided to proceed, she agreed with Trump that this must not happen. The White House has announced that Trump will weigh U.S. involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict within the next two weeks. This marks another instance where Trump has dismissed findings from U.S. intelligence agencies, accusing them—without evidence—of being part of an American ‘deep state’ opposing his presidency. Despite being one of Trump’s supporters, Gabbard has also faced criticism for her initial stance on Iran’s nuclear program.