Speculation over the future of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has intensified following reports that U.S. President Donald Trump explored replacing her with former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
However, according to CBS, Trump has firmly rejected the idea and has signalled continued backing for Gabbard
In an interview with C-Span2 on Sunday, Trump said that Gabbard is someone who has a different “thought process” than that of Trump.
Trump told reporters, “I mean, she’s a little bit different in her thought process than me, but that doesn’t make somebody not available to serve.”
Read more: ‘Kash Patel to be fired today…’: Bombshell report after Trump ousts Pam Bondi
What reports say about internal discussions?
Gabbard has been serving as Director of National Intelligence during a period marked by heightened geopolitical tensions amid the Iran-US war and domestic political scrutiny. Her appointment had already drawn mixed reactions across party lines.
{{/usCountry}}Gabbard has been serving as Director of National Intelligence during a period marked by heightened geopolitical tensions amid the Iran-US war and domestic political scrutiny. Her appointment had already drawn mixed reactions across party lines.
{{/usCountry}}According to The Guardian, Gabbard has come under fire from Trump for defending a former deputy, who didn't agree with her justifications for starting a war with Iran.
In a testimony at the worldwide threats hearing on Capitol Hill last month, Gabbard chose not to call out former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent, who had quit a few days prior, because of his unwillingness to continue the war with Iran.
The discussions reportedly followed Trump’s decision to remove Bondi from her role as attorney general earlier this week. The firing of Bondi prompted speculation about a potential reassignment.
Read more: Pam Bondi fired: Did she tip off Swalwell over alleged Christine Fang ties?
Gabbard's position is secure
Despite the rumours, there has been no formal announcement from the White House indicating plans to replace Gabbard from her role as the Director of Intelligence.
Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, told The Guardian that the president had faith in Gabbard and commended her diligence.
Moreover, Gabbard's spokesperson, Meghan McCain, also denied the report by The Guardian and said, “Tulsi isn’t going anywhere as the President has said 3 days ago."
She further criticized The Guardian, saying, "Would be great if trash British reporters didn’t just make things up out of thin air with sources who simply don’t like that she is working every single day to drain the deep state from our government agencies.”
Meanwhile, Bondi’s future role remains uncertain following her dismissal. According to an X post by Bondi, she is slated to move to “an important private sector role” and said that she will “continue fighting for President Trump and this Administration.”