Tulsi Gabbard stuns senator by saying it's not her job to 'determine what is ... an imminent threat' to the US
Source: The Independent
Wednesday 18 March 2026 19:49 EDT
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard pointedly refused to say whether Iran presented an imminent nuclear threat to America before the U.S. launched its war, angering Democratic senators during an intelligence hearing on Wednesday. The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president, Gabbard said during questioning from Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia.
The committee continued to press Gabbard over what the intelligence community concluded about Irans nuclear program before the war, given that a written version of her statement said Irans nuclear capabilities had been obliterated with no efforts since to rebuild after U.S. strikes last year.
It is not the intelligence communitys responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat, Gabbard said. That is up to the president, based on the volume of information that he receives.
Gabbards statements inspired a sharp response from Ossoff, who cut in and said, It is precisely your responsibility to determine what consists of a threat to the United States. He accused Gabbard of evading a question because to provide a candid response to the committee would contradict a statement from the White House.
Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/tulsi-gabbard-iran-threat-nuclear-ossoff-b2941413.html
She is completely out of their loop and instead, is following Pooties orders.
Lovie777
(22,852 posts)current administration, cabinet, RWers, Republican party don't care about the safety nor economic well being of the USA and her people.
More proof - the destruction of democracy, one of which is the gawd awful "Save Act".
Ray Bruns
(6,292 posts)ChicagoTeamster
(881 posts)Pam Bondi is his Consigliere. Vance is the Underboss, Hegseth is his war stooge, RFK Jr his clown of destroying the nation's health. Dr OZ is in charge of drug dealing as they push fake treatments to people in place of sound medical science.
JoseBalow
(9,438 posts)Dr. T
(624 posts)it IS her job to determine imminent threats and report that assessment to the president.
A normal president would get other opinions from different sources, weigh the combined information then take appropriate action or choose inaction.
But nothing about this administration is normal.
mdbl
(8,595 posts)Here comes Tulsi Gabbard. What a complete buffoon. She doesn't even know what her Effing job is. We're F'd!
William Seger
(12,414 posts)LiberalArkie
(19,735 posts)BattleRow
(2,376 posts)LiberalArkie
(19,735 posts)appleannie1
(5,451 posts)BattleRow
(2,376 posts)As DNI.
Doing a job On us...NOT ...FOR...us.
Martin68
(27,614 posts)all decisions - and the determination of all facts. Trump is an immediate danger to the country. If Congressional Republicans don't wake up soon, we are all in critical danger.
Mustellus
(416 posts)Trump doesn't listen to the briefings, and he can't read. BUT its not her job to tell when something's an important threat, and not just some 103 year old Nazi in Paraguay, confined to a wheel chair, who mutters threats against President Roosevelt all day......
muriel_volestrangler
(106,101 posts)Seriously, the world is fucked if people are saying "leave it to the doddering dolt who barely reads, contradicts himself within a few minutes, and has zero understanding of the military, science or logic". There have to be competent people with relevant experience doing the analysis and making the decisions. Fuck, even Stephen Miller would be better than Trump.
Martin Eden
(15,562 posts)The job of a sycophant requires lies that make you look like an idiot.