DNI means 'do not invite'? Tulsi Gabbard kept out of Maduro operation planning

The White House sidelined Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard from months of planning related to the operation codenamed 'Absolute Resolve' against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, amid scepticism that her past opposition to military intervention in Venezuela raised doubts about her support for the action, according to a Bloomberg report.

The decision to leave Gabbard out of important meetings was well known in the administration, with some members of Trump’s White House staff joking that the initials of Gabbard’s position, DNI, should stand for "Do Not Invite," three people said, as per the report. The conversation was not meant to be taken seriously, but it shows the disdain within Trump’s inner circle for Gabbard. One White House official disputed that such comments had been made.

As a Democratic member of Congress in 2019, Gabbard said that the US should "stay out" of Venezuela. As recently as last month, she criticised "warmongers" pushing the country towards overseas conflicts. Those statements, people familiar with the planning said, fuelled doubts about her willingness to support an operation to capture Maduro.

IMAGES FROM WAR ROOM SPOTLIGHT ABSENCE

It has also brought into focus how Trump’s decision to oust Maduro -- despite repeated pledges during his campaign to avoid new wars -- has deepened internal divisions, not only among his political base but within his own administration.

Photographs released by the White House after the operation showed Trump and senior aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, gathered in a makeshift war room as events unfolded. Gabbard was notably absent.

The episode has also revived scepticism within Trump’s inner circle about the DNI role itself. Some advisers have said that the post, created after the September 11 attacks to improve coordination across the intelligence community, should be abolished altogether.

An Office of the Director of Intelligence spokeswoman pointed to a social media post by Gabbard praising US service members for what she called the operation’s "flawless execution" in capturing Maduro. The post came after days of silence, while other senior national security officials publicly celebrated the operation through press briefings and media appearances.

Former officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations said that excluding the DNI from such planning was highly unusual. As director of national intelligence, Gabbard is meant to serve as the president’s principal intelligence adviser, overseeing the country’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency.

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BACK

Senior officials have rejected the idea that Gabbard was frozen out. Vice President JD Vance dismissed claims that either he or Gabbard had been excluded from planning, calling them "false".

"We’re all part of the same team," Vance told reporters at the White House on Thursday. He said the operation had been tightly held among a small group of senior cabinet and security officials to preserve secrecy.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Bloomberg that Trump "has full confidence in DNI Gabbard and she’s doing a fantastic job".

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With inputs from agencies