In a revelation highlighting internal rifts, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard was reportedly excluded from crucial planning sessions for the recent operation targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The reason cited was her well-documented past opposition to US military action in the Latin American nation, which cast doubt on her support for the mission.
The 'Do Not Invite' Joke and Official Denials
According to a Bloomberg report, the exclusion of the former Democratic congresswoman became a talking point among White House staff. Some aides even joked that the acronym for her title, DNI, stood for "Do Not Invite." However, a White House official has firmly denied that this joke ever circulated.
Vice President JD Vance dismissed claims that he or Gabbard were sidelined as "false." Echoing this, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated that President Donald Trump "has full confidence in DNI Gabbard and she's doing a fantastic job." Vance explained that the operation was tightly controlled at a senior Cabinet level to ensure secrecy.
A History of Opposition to Regime Change
The reported sidelining stems from Gabbard's long-held foreign policy views. In 2019, as a congresswoman, she argued the US should "stay out" of Venezuela's affairs. Just last month, she criticised "warmongers" pushing for conflict with Venezuela. Her stance has consistently been opposite to President Trump's aggressive foreign policy approach, particularly on regime change.
An Iraq War veteran, Gabbard has long opposed US involvement in wars aimed at toppling governments. In a 2019 social media post, she wrote, "The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don't want other countries to choose our leaders—so we have to stop trying to choose theirs." She recently criticised decades of US foreign policy as being stuck in a cycle of regime change.
Intelligence Role and Analysis Continues
Despite not being in the operational war room, a senior intelligence official clarified that Gabbard continued to provide analytical intelligence for the Venezuela mission. She also continues to brief the president and attend Oval Office meetings. The official argued it was unfair to focus on her past views, noting that other senior officials like Vance have also had policy disagreements with Trump previously.
Photos released by the White House from the operation's war room showed Trump with key aides including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Gabbard was notably absent. Commenting on this, retired US Air Force intelligence colonel Cedric Leighton said it was unusual for the DNI not to be involved in such significant operations.
In her first public comment after the operation, Gabbard aligned her support with the mission's stated objectives. She wrote on social media, "President Trump promised the American people he would secure our borders, confront narcoterrorism, dangerous drug cartels, and drug traffickers." This marked her endorsement of the operation's focus on combating drug trafficking networks linked to the Maduro regime.
