How She Got It So Wrong: Tulsi Gabbard’s Shocking Nuclear Missteps

Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI), sparked a firestorm of controversy with a three-minute video posted on X on June 10, 2025, warning that the world was “closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.” As a former Congresswoman and outspoken anti-interventionist, Gabbard’s dramatic message, rooted in her recent visit to Hiroshima, Japan, aimed to rally public opposition to what she called the reckless policies of “political elites and warmongers.” However, her vague, alarmist rhetoric and apparent misjudgment of Iran’s nuclear threat have deepened rifts within the Trump administration, alienated Republican allies, and undermined her credibility, leaving her role as DNI increasingly precarious.

The Warning That Missed the Mark

In her video, Gabbard invoked the haunting legacy of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing, using graphic imagery of nuclear devastation and a simulated attack on San Francisco to underscore the catastrophic potential of modern nuclear weapons. “A single nuclear weapon today could kill millions in just minutes,” she declared, warning of a “nuclear winter” that could “block out the sun, killing crops and starving billions.” Urging the public to “demand an end to this madness,” she implied that elites, insulated by private nuclear shelters, were driving the world toward disaster. While she avoided naming specific countries or individuals, her references to escalating tensions among nuclear powers likely pointed to the Israel-Iran conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war, and India-Pakistan frictions.

Gabbard’s message, intended as a wake-up call for de-escalation, instead backfired spectacularly. Her claim that the world faced an unprecedented nuclear threat was widely criticized as hyperbolic, with analysts and Republican senators pointing to Cold War crises, like the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, as far graver moments. Her vague condemnation of “warmongers” was seen as unhelpful, failing to address specific actors or propose actionable solutions. Worse, her timing—days before Israel’s June 2025 airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities—clashed with President Donald Trump’s hawkish strategy, exposing a deep rift within the administration.

A Misjudged Intelligence Assessment

The roots of Gabbard’s misstep trace back to her March 2025 congressional testimony, where she stated that U.S. intelligence assessed Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon. This assessment, consistent with reports from the Biden era, was publicly contradicted by Trump on June 17, when he dismissed her, saying, “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one.” Israeli intelligence, echoed by former CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who likened Iran’s progress to being “at the one-yard line,” further undermined Gabbard’s position. Israel’s subsequent strikes on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, timed precisely after Trump’s 60-day ultimatum to Tehran expired, underscored the urgency Trump and Israel attached to the threat—urgency Gabbard’s warnings failed to acknowledge.

Israeli journalist Barak Betash’s June 19 X post captured the administration’s frustration, noting that Gabbard’s intelligence assessment was “disconnected from reality.” This perceived misjudgment, rooted in her reliance on outdated or overly cautious intelligence, explains the hostility directed at her, as evidenced by her exclusion from key Iran policy discussions, including a June 8 Camp David meeting. Gabbard’s anti-interventionist ideology, which has long shaped her opposition to U.S. military actions, appears to have clouded her ability to align with the administration’s strategic priorities, particularly its support for Israel’s aggressive moves against Iran.

Fallout: Alienating Allies and Fueling Skepticism

Gabbard’s video drew sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, with Senator John Kennedy calling it “strange” and Senator Susan Collins questioning its appropriateness for a DNI. Her vague rhetoric was seen as alarmist, undermining confidence in her leadership of the intelligence community. On X, users like @NOELreports and @hissgoescobra accused her of echoing Russian propaganda by framing resistance to aggression, such as in Ukraine, as warmongering. Gabbard’s history of controversial statements, defending Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and questioning U.S. narratives on Russia, amplified skepticism about her motives, with critics suggesting her warnings served foreign interests over American ones.

Yet, Gabbard found some support among MAGA’s anti-war faction, including Vice President J.D. Vance, who shares her skepticism of U.S. interventionism. This alignment, however, was not enough to shield her from the broader backlash. White House officials, irritated by her off-message stance, reportedly viewed the video as an attempt to steer Trump away from military support for Israel, a move that backfired as Trump doubled down on his hawkish approach, coordinating with Israel to deceive Iran through public feints and misdirection before the strikes.

A Tenuous Position

Gabbard’s nuclear warnings, while rooted in her genuine anti-war convictions and Hiroshima-inspired reflections, have proven a political disaster. Her failure to accurately gauge Iran’s nuclear threat, combined with her poorly timed and exaggerated rhetoric, has deepened divisions with Trump and GOP hawks. The administration’s dismissal of her intelligence assessment, coupled with her exclusion from critical policy discussions, signals a significant erosion of her influence. French diplomatic sources, cited by journalist Gili Cohen, have warned that even a successful strike on Fordow would only delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions, advocating for diplomacy, a position Gabbard might have bolstered had she framed her warnings more strategically.

Instead, Gabbard’s misstep has left her isolated, with her DNI role hanging by a thread. Her attempt to rally public opposition to escalation has not only failed to sway policy but also drawn accusations of exaggeration and misalignment with U.S. and Israeli goals. As Trump and Israel press forward with their campaign against Iran, Gabbard’s disconnect from the administration’s strategy underscores how she got it so wrong, potentially at the cost of her tenure.