CNN: Head of US National Intelligence who spread fake news about Ukraine is losing favor with Trump

US President Donald Trump and officials in the White House are disappointed with the work of the head of the US National Intelligence Agency, Tulsi Gabbard. This was reported by the TV channel CNN with reference to unnamed interlocutors familiar with the matter.

On Monday, on board Air Force One, Trump answered questions from journalists about the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. He was asked about Gabbard, who testified before Congress in March that Iran is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons, which directly contradicts Israeli statements on this issue.

"I don't care what she said. I think they were very close to getting it [nuclear weapons]," Trump replied.

The US president's rebuke caused a wave of outrage among MAGA supporters in the right-wing media, who have long been divided on the Iran issue. It also raised serious questions about Gabbard's position in the Trump administration.

Just a month ago, White House officials said that the president not only sympathized with the official but also enjoyed spending time with her. However, some in the administration believed that she was not up to the job, but Trump and his team gave Gabbard the opportunity to get used to her new position.

But this tone has changed as many in the West Wing have become disillusioned with her performance, according to the sources. According to one senior White House adviser, Trump has recently come to view her as "out of touch" when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East.

According to the source, Trump's irritation with Gabbard peaked earlier this month when she posted a short video warning that the world is "closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before" and accusing "the political elite and warmongers" of stoking "fear and tension between nuclear powers".

Trump interpreted the video as a thinly veiled criticism of his intention to allow Israel to strike Iran, and many in the White House agreed that Gabbard was speaking out of turn, the source added.

"The Director remains focused on her mission: providing the President with accurate and actionable intelligence, cleaning up the Deep State, and ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people," commented Olivia Coleman, spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The media reminded us that Gabbard is a new face in Trump's circle. She is a former Democratic congresswoman who became close to the MAGA movement. During Trump's first term, the official often criticized him, in particular, for withdrawing from the nuclear deal with Tehran and for ordering the assassination of an Iranian general in 2020.

• Several years ago, Gabbard was accused of repeating Russian narratives after a video was published in which she claimed the alleged existence of American biolabs in Ukraine.
• Nevertheless, on February 12, the US Senate voted to appoint Gabbard as the head of the National Intelligence.