Kate Laurensen is a veteran reporter. She started out covering entertainment news for the local city paper before moving up to the City desk. She studied journalism at San Francisco City College for the Arts.
June 18 , 2025
Washington, D.C. — A simmering rift between President Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard burst into public view this week, as Gabbard forcefully defended her handling of sensitive intelligence in the wake of pointed presidential criticism over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The dispute began after President Trump, returning from the G7 summit in Canada, publicly dismissed Gabbard’s testimony to Congress that U.S. intelligence agencies assessed Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon. “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, directly contradicting his own intelligence chief and aligning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warnings about Tehran’s intentions.
Gabbard, who has served as DNI since early 2025, responded swiftly and sharply. In a statement released Tuesday evening, she emphasized her direct role in the intelligence process: “I actually read the daily intelligence reports. In fact, I approve them.” Her remarks appeared to be a pointed rejoinder to persistent reports that President Trump does not regularly read the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) and instead prefers oral or broadcast-style summaries.
The tension between the two officials has been building for weeks. Earlier this month, Gabbard posted a video warning about the dangers of escalating tensions between nuclear powers, a message widely interpreted as a caution against U.S. involvement in Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The video reportedly infuriated Trump, who saw it as an attempt to steer his foreign policy and “correct” his administration’s position.
Gabbard’s approach to intelligence has sparked both internal and external controversy. Some reports suggest she has explored revamping the PDB to better suit Trump’s media consumption habits, potentially incorporating animations or even Fox News hosts to deliver classified information—a claim both the White House and Gabbard’s office have vehemently denied as “libelous” and “absurd."
Meanwhile, Gabbard has stood by the intelligence community’s consensus that Iran’s Supreme Leader has not authorized a nuclear weapons program since 2023, and that current evidence does not support claims of an imminent Iranian bomb. “The intelligence is clear, and my responsibility is to present it without political distortion,” Gabbard said in her statement.
The public split underscores a familiar dynamic from Trump’s first term, when he frequently clashed with intelligence officials over issues ranging from Russian election interference to Middle East policy. As the administration faces mounting pressure from Israel and hawkish lawmakers to take a harder line on Iran, the president’s willingness to sideline his own intelligence chief raises fresh questions about the role of fact-based analysis in White House decision-making.
For now, Gabbard appears undeterred. “My duty is to the Constitution and the American people,” she said. “I will continue to provide the president with the best intelligence available—whether he chooses to read it or not.”
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