President Trump on Friday openly disagreed with his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, over her earlier testimony stating that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. It marked the second time in a week that Trump publicly contradicted her.
While speaking to reporters after arriving in New Jersey, Trump was asked directly whether he had intelligence showing Iran was building a nuclear weapon contrary to what the intelligence community had previously assessed.
“Well, then my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?” Trump responded. When the reporter clarified that it was Gabbard who made the statement, Trump replied, “She’s wrong.”
Back in March, Gabbard had testified before Congress that the intelligence agencies did not believe Iran was developing a nuclear weapon and that the country’s supreme leader had not approved any such program. She also pointed out that although Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was large, it remained within a range seen in countries without nuclear weapons.
Her testimony has faced increased scrutiny lately, especially as tensions in the Middle East rise and Trump’s foreign policy decisions come under a brighter spotlight. Trump’s outright dismissal of Gabbard’s conclusions further deepens questions about her influence within the administration.
Earlier this week, Trump had already downplayed Gabbard’s assessment. “I don’t care what she said. I think they were close to having one,” he said at the time, signaling a sharp divide between the president’s views and those of his intelligence team.