President Donald Trump seriously considered firing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard last week before longtime ally Roger Stone intervened to stop the move, according to Axios’ Marc Caputo.
Caputo wrote that the president “was displeased with Gabbard when she didn’t wholeheartedly endorse the Iran war during her recent testimony to Congress about threats to the U.S.,” citing five advisers and confidants who spoke directly with Trump.
Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent’s resignation also reportedly added to Trump’s frustration.
Kent stepped down in protest of the administration’s Iran policy, arguing the conflict was not justified and that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States.
What Axios Reported
According to the report:
- Trump has grown frustrated with Gabbard in recent weeks
- He had moved toward removing her from the role
- Stone stepped in and urged him to reconsider
As Mediaite noted, the intervention reportedly helped ease tensions and prevent an immediate dismissal:
While some of Gabbard’s fellow Cabinet members supported Gabbard, one source assured Caputo that Roger Stone played a central role in protecting her. “Roger sealed the deal. He saved Tulsi,” said the source. Stone and Trump’s close relationship goes all the way back to 1979, and the president values his opinion. Her are the four arguments he reportedly made on Gabbard’s behalf:
1. Gabbard was loyal, gave congressional testimony in a professional manner and never disputed the president.
2. Gabbard wasn’t going to resign like Kent and didn’t deserve to be proactively fired.
3. Firing Gabbard would needlessly create a damaging news cycle for Trump — and make her into a martyr of sorts for those in the president’s base agitated by the war.
4. If she were fired and given that aura of credibility among MAGA dissenters, Gabbard could become a potent GOP presidential candidate in a little over a year. That might hurt Trump’s preferred successor, Vice President Vance, in the early 2028 primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt commented on the matter by asserting that “President Trump believes Tulsi Gabbard is doing an excellent job on behalf of the administration. She is a key member of his national security team.”
Stone himself addressed the matter in a Thursday afternoon tweet that read: “Last Monday [Laura] Loomer tried to convince the President that Tulsi Gabbard was about to resign – in an effort to get Trump to move preemptively to fire her. The whole thing was a hoax. Fortunately, I acted in time. When I called Loomer out on her lie is when she became unhinged.”
White House Signals Stability — For Now
Despite the report, public messaging from the administration has remained steady.
- Trump has said Gabbard has a “different thought process” but remains part of the team
- Officials have dismissed some firing reports as overstated or premature
- Gabbard continues to serve as DNI, with no formal change announced
Any change at the DNI level would carry significant implications, as the role oversees the entire U.S. intelligence community.
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If Trump fires Tulsi, Trump’s brain is seriously in question. He needs to tolerate dissenting but loyal voices.
Gabbard’s a keeper!