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Politico
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Inside the clashes between Trump and Gabbard
As President Donald Trump privately mulled joining Israel's campaign against Iran this month, one member of his Cabinet sent what he viewed as an audacious attempt to steer him in the opposite direction. At 5:30 a.m. on June 10, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard tweeted a cryptic, three-minute video warning that 'political elite and warmongers' are 'carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers' — and that the world is 'on the brink of nuclear annihilation.' Trump saw the unauthorized video and became incensed, complaining to associates at the White House that she had spoken out of turn, according to three people familiar with the episode — two of them inside the administration and all granted anonymity to describe sensitive dynamics. Her post came a few days after Israel hawks met with Trump at the White House to lobby him to support Israel's attacks on Iran. In the eyes of Trump and some close to him, Gabbard was warning him not to greenlight Israel attacking Iran. Trump even expressed his disapproval to her personally, the three people said. 'I don't think he dislikes Tulsi as a person … But certainly the video made him not super hot on her … and he doesn't like it when people are off message,' said one of the people, a senior administration official. The official added that Trump also doesn't appreciate it when people appear to be correcting him and that 'many took that video as trying to correct the administration's position.' Trump's reaction to the video — which has not been previously reported — underscores a widening gap between a president on the brink of potentially joining Israel's war, and his anti-interventionist intelligence chief, who in the past has been adamantly against the U.S. engaging in new foreign conflicts. Indeed, the man Gabbard endorsed on the campaign trail — who spoke of ending the Ukraine-Russia War on Day 1 and ushering in a new era of peace — is striking a different tone from her now that he's sitting behind the Resolute desk. Those tensions came to the forefront early Tuesday when a reporter aboard Air Force One asked Trump about Gabbard's declaration before Congress in March that Iran was not seeking to build a nuclear weapon. Trump appeared to dismiss her assessment. 'I don't care what she said,' Trump replied. 'I think they were very close to having a weapon.' It's a remarkable change in tone from the way the president once talked about the former Democratic representative from Hawaii-turned-Trump supporter. Last fall, Trump touted Gabbard's backing on the campaign trail. He added her — as well as Robert F. Kennedy — to his Cabinet in part to highlight the ideological diversityof the MAGA coalition. But in recent months, Trump has increasingly mused about nixing Gabbard's office completely, an idea he floated when he gave her the job. In the White House there have been discussions about folding its mandate into the CIA or another agency, according to one of the people familiar with his response to the video and two others familiar with the matter — though it's unclear what that would mean for Gabbard. The Director of National Intelligence serves as the president's principal intelligence adviser and oversees the sprawling U.S. spy community. Gabbard's tweet about nuclear war may have spurred those conversations along. Citing a recent trip to Hiroshima, Japan — where she visited the blast site from one of the two atomic bombs the U.S. dropped to end World War II — the DNI warned in graphic terms of weapons potentially 'vaporizing entire cities.' Her statements were in keeping with the sentiment of many MAGA leaders that deeper U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran clashes could pull America into a regional and even worldwide conflict. But ever since then there's been simmering frustration with Gabbard in the West Wing. The president, after all, notably called former President Barack Obama 'pathetic' in 2016 for visiting Hiroshima, and argued that people shouldn't apologize for anything the U.S. did during WWII. And Trump has 'just been kind of down on her in general,' said one of the people familiar with Gabbard's interactions with the White House, adding that Trump thinks she 'doesn't add anything to any conversation.' Gabbard insisted to reporters Tuesday that she and the president are 'on the same page' on Iran, and a person close to Gabbard denied any tensions between her and the president. As recently as Tuesday, the two were meeting with other top officials in the Situation Room at the White House, and the administration even changed the time of the briefing to accommodate her schedule to ensure she could attend, the person said. The Gabbard ally added that she is fully on board with what Trump is trying to do with Iran, and said she has never let her personal views color the advice she provides to the president — nor has she tried to sway Trump to her own point of view. Asked for comment, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said the president 'has full confidence in his entire exceptional national security team' and insisted that 'efforts by the legacy media to sow internal division are a distraction that will not work.' Vice President JD Vance's team also reached out unprompted Tuesday night to defend Gabbard in a statement, arguing that she is 'an essential member' of the team. 'Tulsi Gabbard is a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of President Trump, and a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024,' he said in a statement. Gabbard argued to reporters on Tuesday that what Trump said about Iran's nuclear program is consistent with her March testimony before Congress. Gabbard said then that even as the intelligence community assessed that Tehran hadn't reinvigorated its nuclear weapons program — findings consistent with assessments shared by senior officials during the Biden administration — Iran's stockpiles of enriched uranium were at their highest levels. 'President Trump was saying the same thing that I said in my annual threat assessment back in March; unfortunately too many people in the media don't care to actually read what I said,' she said. Trump's comments on Air Force One, however, suggest it's not just the media who didn't catch that nuance. The apparent divide has been a source of gossip among people on both sides of the ideological spectrum who are closely following the rising tensions in the Middle East. Israel hawks like conservative talk show host Mark Levin have mocked Gabbard's assessment, suggesting that U.S. intelligence under her leadership has been flat-out incorrect. Some of Gabbard's detractors are now holding up Trump's words to argue that she should get the axe. 'She shouldn't be in that job,' Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, who had his own falling out with Trump, said Tuesday. Video of Trump's comments about Gabbard on Air Force One have also stirred speculation on Capitol Hill that he has lost trust in her, said one senior congressional aide. Lawmakers of both parties were sharing the video widely among themselves on Tuesday morning, said the aide, who was granted anonymity to share details of private conversations. 'This is not just the hawkish camp,' the person said. 'This is every single member sending it around.' Even people who agree with Gabbard have been worried about her influence waning: On his podcast War Room on Monday, MAGA ringleader Steve Bannon rhetorically asked his guest Tucker Carlson why Gabbard was not invited to what appears to have been a critical Camp David huddle earlier this month, where Trump and senior officials from his CIA director to chief of staff and the vice president discussed how to posture amid Israeli's looming strike. 'You know why … This is a regime change effort,' Carlson answered. Gabbard — who has spoken of losing friends while serving in the military — has in the past been extremely outspoken against such incursions. The former lawmaker has long been 'focused on not getting ourselves into another horrible war we can't succeed in or get our way out of,' said Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at the think-tank Defense Priorities, whom Gabbard tapped to serve in a top job at ODNI but whose appointment was axed following an uproar about his past criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza. Gabbard's defenders have pushed back on suggestions that she's getting iced out. The intelligence chief, who is a Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army National Guard, was on Army Reserve duty the weekend of the Camp David huddle, according to one person familiar with the matter. The Gabbard ally also said that she has been in the room with the president and vice president throughout deliberations on the Israel-Iran issue, working out of the White House rather than ODNI's office since Israel first started its bombing campaign. Trump, instructed her to reach out to her Israeli counterpart and the Gulf States to be in touch. Gabbard isn't without allies in the administration. Even as she's been savaged by Republicans eager for Trump to enter the fighting fray, Vance took it upon himself to defend her on X on Tuesday afternoon. But what matters, of course, is how Trump himself views her. And while Gabbard is indeed still around the White House, the senior administration official remarked that 'just because you're here doesn't mean that you're doing a great job.' Trump's original decision to nominate Gabbard to serve as his spy chief sparked widespread concern among national security officials and Democrats — and even some hawkish Republicans privately — on Capitol Hill. She has flirted with fringe ideas about the wars in Ukraine and Syria, and has evinced a deep skepticism of the intelligence community she now oversees. After she was confirmed in February, Gabbard carved out an unusually public role for a spy chief, eagerly carrying out the president's agenda and letting the world know about her work for Trump in regular appearances on Fox News and in social media posts and interviews with right-wing media stars. She revoked the security clearances of dozens of the president's political enemies and critics, maligned some of the officials that work beneath her and fired two top officials who oversaw the production of an intelligence assessment that undercut Trump's justification for the mass deportation of migrants from Latin America. But there were signs that she may be on her own path, according to some in the administration. For one, her very visit to Hiroshima perplexed the White House, according to one of the aforementioned administration officials. The intelligence chief appears to have tacked on a trip to the city as she paid a visit to a Marine Corps air station in Iwakuni, close to Hiroshima, after attending the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore. But the White House has questioned whether the trip was relevant to her role as Director of National Intelligence, even as the Gabbard ally said the Japan trip was coordinated and approved by the NSC. As Gabbard navigates the politics of Trump's White House, she may also be thinking ahead to what might come next. In a recent podcast interview with former Fox News host Megyn Kelly in May, Gabbard didn't rule out running for president in 2028. 'I will never rule out any opportunity to serve my country,' Gabbard said. If Trump decides to join Israel in attacking Iran, that could complicate her calculus of serving in the administration. Jack Detsch contributed to this report.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Merz, Trump and more: Why the world has started loving military so much
The world is on the path of militarisation again as Europe rearms itself, Pakistani military firms up control over the country, and US President Donald Trump starts deploying military domestically. New conflicts are also popping in different parts of the world as militarisation surges. read more Across the world, the militaries are coming into prominence again: the United States just marked a massive parade with thousands of soldiers and dozens of vehicles, Germany is celebrating its first Veterans Day, European nations are revitalising their armed forces, and Pakistani military's hold on the country is now stronger in many years after the conflict with India last month. Many analysts say that another war is in the making in east Asia where China has been beefing up its military for years for what it calls the 'reunification' of Taiwan. China considers the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a breakaway province and is committed to merge it —forcefully if needed— with the mainland. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Such a scenario has developed at a time when wars and conflicts have picked up pace in recent years. At the moment, three major wars are going on in addition to many civil wars and internal conflicts: the Ukraine-Russia War in Europe, the Israel-Hamas War in the Gaza Strip, and the Israel-Iran War. Here we look at what's behind such renewed militarisation of the world and where the world appears to be headed. Europe wakes up to Russian threat, US withdrawal Germany is only one of the many European nations racing to boost their defences as the continent has woken up to the triple threats from Russian aggression, the withdrawal of the United States from the continent, and the newfound alliance between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In recent months, Germany has seen prominent changes: the country is holding a Veterans Day parade for the first time, has expanded support to Ukraine, and has amended the constitution to release massive sums for defence and infrastructure expenditure. While France has long been a champion of strategic autonomy and has preferred a relatively independent path, it has now been joined by the likes of United Kingdom, Denmark, and Baltic states that are boosting defence spending and military preparedness to prepare for Russian aggression without relying on the United States. Notably, Denmark is facing twin threats as Trump has vowed to annex its Greenland island — forcefully if required. Japan & Taiwan beef up defences as China flexes muscles In eastern Asia, Japan and Taiwan are preparing to defend their territories from possible Chinese aggression. China has been building its military for years and is today in a position where it can rival the United States at least in the Indo-Pacific theatre. As allies do not have assurance of US support under Trump, Japan, Taiwan, and others, who have faced the ire of China in recent years, are beefing up their defences. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For Japan, the rearmament is notable as the country is constitutionally pacifist and does not have armed forces but defensive forces. Pakistan military loses war but firms up position Even as India battered Pakistan and forced Field Marshal (then General) Asim Munir to seek a ceasefire, Pakistani military has now entrenched itself even strongly in the country. As Munir calls shots openly and the elected government bows to the military at every step, the militarisation of the society is even starker than North Korea. That leaves India with few options other than to beef up preparedness. As a result, India has started to replenish its stocks and double down on indigenous procurements. India has sped up the military modernisation and procurement programmes, with a special focus on indigenisation. Last month, Indian indigenous platforms performed better than Pakistan's ensemble of Chinese and Turkish platforms. For better warfighting abilities, India is also going ahead with theatrisation of armed forces commands. Cash-strapped Pakistan has, meanwhile, given the military a 20 per cent hike in the budget even as commoners have been slapped with new taxes, increase in existing taxes, and removal of tax exemptions, amid an austerity drive. Meanwhile, US deploys military domestically While Trump is withdrawing military from Europe and elsewhere, he is deploying soldiers inside the country against his own people. While the federal deployment of National Guards in California by itself had outraged people, the deployment of US Marines further outraged people as it was armed soldiers were deployment domestically in a remarkable escalation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump also celebrated his birthday with an unprecedented parade involving thousands of marching soldiers and several military vehicles. Critics slammed the spectacle and compared it to how dictators in North Korea, China, or Soviet Union held parades and where the distinction between the state and the head of the state was blurred.
Epoch Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Ukraine's War Tactics Evolve Weekly—Why Isn't Australia Keeping Up? General Asks
The Ukraine-Russia War has revolutionised battlefield tactics, but Australia appears to be slow on the uptake, says one retired major general. 'This accelerating learning and adaptation cycle may be the most transformative development to emerge from the war,' Ryan said, in an article for the Lowy Institute.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Unloads on All His Haters in Incoherent Rant
Despite being back in the Oval Office, Donald Trump is still stuck in the past. In an early morning Truth Social rant Friday, the president continued to blame all his problems on President Joe Biden. Those problems ran the gamut from the Ukraine-Russia War (which started in 2014), the October 7 attack on an Israeli music festival, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, inflation and the economy, and 'illegals' at the border. In an effort to skirt the ire of the nation under his increasingly unpopular policies, Trump claimed that the 2020 election conspiracy was the fulcrum of the country's woes, urging that 'THE PEOPLE WHO DID THIS TO US SHOULD GO TO JAIL.' 'Crooked Joe Biden got us into a real 'mess' with Russia (and EVERYTHING ELSE!), but I'm going to get us out,' Trump posted. 'Millions of people are needlessly dead, never to be seen again … and there will be many more to follow if we don't get the Cease Fire and Final Agreement with Russia completed and signed. There would have been NO WAR if I were President. It just, 100%, would not have happened. 'Likewise, there would have been no October 7th with Israel, the pullout from Afghanistan would have been done with strength and pride, and would not have been the most embarrassing day in the history of our Country, it could have been a moment of glory,' Trump continued. 'Also, there would not have been any perceptible inflation—Instead we had Record Setting, Country Destroying Inflation, like we have never seen before. Also, we would have had an impenetrable Border, with very few illegals getting in. 'Oh, what a difference A RIGGED & CROOKED ELECTION HAD ON OUR COUNTRY, AND THE PEOPLE WHO DID THIS TO US SHOULD GO TO JAIL! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Trump added. But it may just be easier for Trump to reimagine the past than it is for him to confront the future. Trump's own economic plans have sparked fears that the country—which just last year had a strong economy—could be en route for a recession. Trump's own foreign policy, which involves a global trade war, has instigated unrest with some of America's longest allies, and his administration's handling of the Ukraine conflict has led a coalition of countries to question if they should continue sharing intelligence with the Pentagon.
