Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman who became Donald Trump's Director of National Intelligence, has left the administration, becoming the latest high-profile woman to depart the Cabinet. Her exit, officially attributed to her husband's bone cancer diagnosis, was widely seen as inevitable given her growing policy differences with the president.
A Clash of Worldviews
Gabbard's non-interventionist stance increasingly conflicted with Trump's foreign policy moves, particularly in Iran and Venezuela. In June, less than two weeks before the US struck Iran's nuclear sites in Operation Midnight Hammer, Gabbard posted a video accusing "political elite warmongers" of fomenting fear between nuclear powers. The operation, reminiscent of the film Top Gun: Maverick, underscored the widening gap between her anti-war principles and the administration's actions.
According to CNN, when Trump's national security team gathered at Mar-a-Lago to watch operations in Venezuela, Gabbard was in Hawaii. Her isolation grew as her relationship with CIA Director John Ratcliffe soured, with Gabbard feeling sidelined in intelligence briefings.
The Unlikely Rise of Tulsi Gabbard
Gabbard's political journey was improbable. Raised in Hawaii around the Science of Identity Foundation, a Hare Krishna-affiliated group, she served in the Iraq War and entered Congress as the first Hindu member, swearing in on the Bhagavad Gita. She surfed through Democratic politics with a persona that defied easy classification: socially moderate, foreign-policy heretical, and willing to challenge her own party.
She resigned as DNC vice-chair in 2016, accusing the party of rigging the primary against Bernie Sanders. Her criticism of the Russia investigation and her debate takedown of Kamala Harris earned her MAGA credentials. Trump later appointed her DNI, praising her with the epithet: "She's like hotter than everybody."
The DNI's Limited Power
The Director of National Intelligence role is primarily coordinating, not commanding. Gabbard lacked institutional support and trust from the intelligence community. As former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos told the Washington Post: "If you don't have the president's ear, you can't be effective. That's intel chief 101." With Trump bypassing her, the role became redundant.
Her departure followed that of Joe Kent, who resigned as head of the National Counterterrorism Center, and Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, thinning the anti-war coalition within MAGA.
The Anti-War MAGA Civil War
Gabbard's exit is part of a broader struggle within Trump's base. Figures like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon have criticized the administration's escalation in Iran. Carlson called it "Israel's war," while Bannon warned, "We can't have another Iraq." Kent resigned, saying, "I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran."
Trump's anti-war rhetoric was always instinctive rather than doctrinal. He opposed wars that made America look weak but has embraced military action when it projects strength, often sharing videos of bombings.
Women in Trump's Cabinet: A Pattern of Departures
Gabbard is the fourth woman to leave Trump's Cabinet. Kristi Noem's expensive ad campaign and Pam Bondi's failure to deliver on Epstein files led to their exits. Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid scandal. Each left for different reasons—optics, revenge delivery, scandal survival, or obedience—but the pattern suggests women are more expendable in Trump's court.
Iran's Parting Shot
Iran's embassy in Armenia wished Gabbard's husband a swift recovery, praising her for "speaking truths about Iran that Trump hated" and noting the irony of her working for a government that had become "a proxy for Israel."
In Hindu tradition, tulsi (holy basil) is kept outside the home. For Tulsi Gabbard, the Washington soap opera ended the same way: the patriarch always wins.
