Khaberni - U.S. President Donald Trump was on the verge of firing National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard due to her "unenthusiastic" stance on the Iran war, before retracting that decision after intervention by his former adviser Roger Stone, according to the website "Axios".
The site added that Trump was irritated by Gabbard after she did not show "full support" for the Iran war during her last testimony before Congress concerning the threats facing the United States, according to 5 advisers and close associates who spoke to the U.S. president.
On the previous day, Joe Kent, Gabbard's former adviser and the counterterrorism director, resigned in a notable move that made headlines and weakened the administration's media message about the threat posed by Iran.
Two sources said that Trump "scolded" Gabbard in a private meeting shortly thereafter and questioned her loyalty. While two other sources said that Trump was not as upset, but rather conveyed his remarks in a sarcastic yet friendly tone.
According to the "Guardian" newspaper, a week later, Trump began consulting with his advisers about Gabbard's testimony, her job performance, and the possibility of replacing her, but her colleagues in government supported her, as did his former adviser Roger Stone when the president called him last week, according to "Axios".
According to a source familiar with Trump's thinking for the site, "Roger settled the matter. He saved Tulsi." Stone refused to comment, but confirmed on Thursday on "X" that he intervened on behalf of Gabbard, saying, "Fortunately, I acted in time."
U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Sunday that there were disagreements with National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard concerning the handling of Iran, considering her to be "more lenient".
Stone, who is 73 years old, has a special relationship with Trump that dates back to 1979, and it’s a relationship unmatched by anyone else.
According to two people who spoke with Stone, he offered four reasons to convince Trump to keep Gabbard which are that Gabbard was loyal, testified before Congress in a professional manner, did not contradict the president, and she had no intention of resigning like Joe Kent, and does not deserve to be preemptively dismissed.
The sources mentioned that Stone told Trump that firing Gabbard would have created a cycle of negative news that would harm the president unnecessarily, possibly turning her into a “martyr” in the eyes of some of his base who are angry about the war, and that if she were dismissed and gained this aura of credibility among war opponents within the "MAGA camp," she could become a strong Republican candidate for presidency a little over a year from now, which could harm Trump’s preferred candidate to succeed him, Vice President JD Vance, in the early primaries in 2028 in New Hampshire and South Carolina.
"Axios" reported that Roger Stone's defense of Gabbard caused a bitter dispute with another adviser to the president, Laura Loomer, who is a prominent critic of Gabbard and accuses her of disloyalty.
Loomer wrote on "X" last week: "Tulsi's done. The White House doesn't want any drama, so they gave her the option to resign, but she would cause significant harm if this option were left to her, as she would launch her presidential campaign for 2028." However, an ally of Gabbard told "Axios," "This is absolutely not true," indicating that Trump has repeatedly defended her.
The dividing line in this crisis concerns the Israel issue. Loomer and others among Gabbard's opponents criticized her decision to appoint Joe Kent, who was accused of antisemitism when he resigned accusing Israel of manipulating Trump to push him towards war with Iran.
The American Director of National Intelligence refrained from disclosing whether the Iranian nuclear program poses an imminent threat, avoiding answering about supporting intelligence justifications for starting a war with Iran.
Gabbard has also recently appointed Dan Caldwell, a critic of U.S. policy towards Israel, in the National Intelligence Director's office, which also drew criticisms from Trump supporters who are pro-Israel.
Gabbard, a former Democratic Representative and combat veteran, has been known for a long time for her criticisms of foreign wars and U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Before Trump joined the Israeli bombing campaign on Iran last year, he was upset by her posting a video on her account on "X" talking about her visit to Hiroshima, warning that "political elites and war advocates recklessly stoke fear and tensions among nuclear powers".
