Donald Trump has privately asked cabinet members in recent weeks whether he should replace his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, according to two people briefed on the discussions. The president expressed frustration that she shielded a former deputy who undercut his rationale for war with Iran.
It is not clear that Trump will actually fire Gabbard over the episode. Currently, there is no standout candidate to take the job, and advisers have cautioned that creating a high-profile vacancy before a successor is ready could cause unhelpful political distractions.
Trump's doubts about Gabbard followed her testimony at the worldwide threats hearing on Capitol Hill last month where she declined to condemn Joe Kent, who had resigned days earlier after arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. The nature of Kent's departure and his criticism of the war had already angered Trump, but he expressed particular frustration about Gabbard seemingly defending Kent and appearing reluctant to defend the administration's position to attack Iran.
Asked on Sunday whether he still had confidence in Gabbard's leadership, Trump offered a mixed endorsement. “Yeah, sure,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I mean, she's a little bit different in her thought process than me, but that doesn't make somebody not available to serve.”
In a statement, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung defended Gabbard's tenure, saying President Trump has confidence in her. However, Gabbard has also quickly racked up a list of perceived transgressions, including a video warning about nuclear war that Trump felt would scare people, and a public contradiction by Trump after she testified that Iran had not decided to build a nuclear bomb.
