Intelligence Briefing | Trump vs. his Spy Chief Gabbard: Rift at the Heart of U.S. Intelligence and Foreign Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump signs a document as Tulsi Gabbard stands by, on the day of her swearing in ceremony as Director of National Intelligence, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 12, 2025 Photo/Reuters

Ujasusi Blog | United States Monitoring Desk

Date: 20 June 2025 | 0010 BST

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Executive Summary

President Donald Trump and his Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, are embroiled in a growing public and internal dispute over foreign policy messaging, nuclear escalation risks, and the role of the intelligence community amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Gabbard’s warning against nuclear war and U.S. entanglement has clashed with Trump's assertive posture, triggering internal White House discontent, strategic confusion, and rumours of her potential dismissal. The fallout not only exposes ideological cracks within the Trump administration but also casts uncertainty over the cohesion of American intelligence policy during one of the most volatile geopolitical moments in recent history.