WANA (May 22) – Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence who oversees the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies, announced her resignation on Friday, marking a high-profile departure from the administration.

 

While American media outlets have pointed to major internal policy disputes behind the scenes, Gabbard’s resignation follows critical friction regarding the administration’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear program.

 

The Iran Contradiction

During a recent presentation of the intelligence community’s annual threat assessment, Gabbard delivered an analysis of Iran’s nuclear program that directly contradicted President Donald Trump’s assertions of an “imminent threat.”

 

Gabbard stated that the consensus across U.S. intelligence agencies showed Iran had made no efforts to increase its uranium enrichment since the 12-Day War.

 

This conclusion undermined the administration’s justification for initiating military action against Iran, which the White House had defended as a necessary response to an immediate nuclear threat.

 

Furthermore, the report reflected the intelligence community’s assessment that the foundations of Iran’s government remained stable despite the conflict.

 

According to an April 10 report by Axios, President Trump had heavily considered dismissing Gabbard following those statements. Sources familiar with the matter noted that Trump was deeply dissatisfied with what he viewed as her “lack of decisive support for the war with Iran” and openly questioned her loyalty.

 

Gabbard’s position was temporarily salvaged through the personal intervention of longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone. Stone reportedly argued that Gabbard remained loyal, did not deserve to be fired, and warned that her dismissal could trigger negative media fallout while positioning her as a potential political rival.

 

Several other cabinet officials also backed her at the time, leading Trump to keep her in the post. Trump has faced recurring criticism over the years for allegedly pressuring intelligence bodies to align their reports with his political views.

 

Trump Cites Family Health Reasons on Truth Social

Despite the documented policy rifts, President Trump took to Truth Social to announce that Gabbard stepped down for personal reasons, stating she resigned because her husband was recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.