Gabbard Caught Omitting Her Own Words on Iran’s Nukes — Was She Hiding Something From Trump?
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday for an annual worldwide threats hearing alongside CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel.
The session drew immediate attention when Gabbard delivered her opening remarks without reading a specific passage contained in her written submission to the committee.
The omitted section stated that Operation Midnight Hammer had left Iran’s nuclear enrichment program “obliterated,” with no subsequent efforts made to reconstruct those capabilities.
Her prepared written remarks read: “As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There have been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.”
The written testimony continued: “The entrances to the underground facilities that were bombed have been buried and shuttered with cement. We continue to monitor for any early indicators on what position the current or any new leadership in Iran will take with regard to authorizing a nuclear weapons program.”
Gabbard did not deliver those words aloud during the hearing.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia was the first to raise the discrepancy directly with Gabbard. “In your printed testimony today, you said Iran’s nuclear missile program was obliterated,” Warner told her. “You omitted that paragraph from your opening statement.”
Gabbard responded by citing time constraints. “I recognized that time was running long,” she said.
Warner then asked directly: “So you chose to omit the parts that contradict Trump?” Gabbard did not directly answer that characterization.
Later in the hearing, Gabbard offered a different characterization of Iran’s nuclear status. “Iran was trying to recover from the severe damage to its nuclear infrastructure,” she testified.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia pressed Gabbard on the intelligence community’s assessment of an imminent Iranian threat. Gabbard deferred the question to the President. “Senator, the only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the President,” she stated.
Ossoff pushed back, noting that Gabbard was present specifically to brief lawmakers on worldwide threats and whether those assessments had been shared with the President.
Gabbard also addressed the broader nuclear threat picture, drawing attention to multiple adversaries. “The intelligence community assesses that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems, with nuclear and conventional payloads, that put our homeland within range,” she said.
Gabbard’s appearance before the committee came just one day after the resignation of Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Kent, an Iraq war veteran, publicly stepped down Tuesday, citing his opposition to U.S. military action against Iran, which he characterized as the result of Israeli pressure on President Trump.
Following Kent’s exit, prediction markets began pricing in the possibility that Gabbard could be next. According to Kalshi, the probability of Gabbard departing as the next high-level official stood at 14 percent Wednesday — more than double the 6 percent registered the prior day.
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