Tulsi Gabbard Says Media Misrepresents Her Intel Assessment On Iran Nukes
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is pushing back hard after multiple media outlets mischaracterized her recent testimony on Iran’s nuclear program, portraying it as a direct contradiction of President Donald Trump’s more aggressive stance.
Gabbard, a former congresswoman and Army officer, accused mainstream media of deliberately misrepresenting her words to sow discord between her and the White House. “The media is engaging in dishonest, agenda-driven reporting,” she said in a statement. “They’re twisting my assessment to create a false narrative of division inside the administration.”
Her remarks follow testimony in which she confirmed that U.S. intelligence does not currently believe Iran has begun building a nuclear weapon, though she acknowledged that Tehran is dangerously close to having that capability. Gabbard emphasized that while uranium enrichment levels are alarmingly high, there is no definitive evidence that the regime has initiated a formal weapons program—yet.
The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division. America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the… pic.twitter.com/mYxjpJY2ud
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) June 20, 2025
President Trump, when asked about Gabbard’s comments, stated bluntly that he believes Iran is weeks away from completing a bomb and warned that the United States “knows exactly where the so-called Supreme Leader is hiding.” Some media outlets spun his response as a rejection of Gabbard’s intelligence report.
Sources within the intelligence community downplayed any rift, noting that Gabbard’s statements were careful, legally precise, and based on the latest verifiable data—whereas Trump’s remarks were meant to project strength and signal consequences to Iran.
Despite media attempts to exploit the difference in tone, insiders say both Gabbard and Trump are on the same page: Iran is near the nuclear threshold, and decisive action may be necessary if negotiations fail. Gabbard reaffirmed that intelligence assessments are updated in real time, and the administration remains united in its efforts to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.
