00:01.
00:20Shock waves inside Washington.
00:23Tulsi Gabbard has announced she is stepping down
00:26as President Donald Trump's Director of National Intelligence.
00:31Officially, the reason is deeply personal.
00:34But behind the scenes, the story may be far more complicated.
00:38In a resignation letter posted online,
00:42Gabbard revealed that her husband, Abraham Williams,
00:45has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.
00:49She said she could not ask him to face the battle alone
00:52while she continued in one of America's most demanding national security roles.
00:58Her resignation takes effect June 30th.
01:02And Trump himself publicly praised Gabbard, calling her service great
01:07while announcing that Principal Deputy DNI Erin Lucas will become Acting Intelligence Chief.
01:14But almost immediately, questions began swirling across Washington,
01:19because multiple reports now suggest the resignation story may not be the full story.
01:26According to sources familiar with the matter,
01:29Gabbard had been under mounting pressure inside the White House for months.
01:34Several reports claim Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with her positions, particularly on Iran.
01:41Back in March, Trump publicly suggested that Gabbard was softer than him,
01:46on preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
01:50Then came reports that she had been increasingly excluded from major national security deliberations.
01:56According to multiple sources, Gabbard was absent from key discussions on the Iran war,
02:03the Venezuela operation, and other major foreign policy decisions.
02:08Behind closed doors, White House officials were reportedly discussing possible replacements,
02:13in the United States, well before Friday's announcement.
02:16Sources cited by Reuters and other outlets claim she was effectively pushed out
02:21after months of tension inside Trump's inner circle.
02:25Gabbard's tenure itself was always controversial.
02:29A former Democrat and Iraq War veteran, she became one of Trump's most unconventional allies.
02:36Critics accused her of politicizing intelligence agencies,
02:39and backing Trump's claims about the 2020 election.
02:43She also faced backlash for revoking security clearances from dozens of former intelligence officials,
02:50including former CIA director John Brennan.
02:54And her past comments on Russia, Syria, and foreign intervention,
02:58made her a lightning rod inside both parties.
03:02Supporters, however, praised her for challenging what she called the deep state,
03:06and attempting to root out politicization inside America's intelligence community.
03:12Now, her sudden exit comes at a critical moment.
03:16The Trump administration is navigating tensions with Iran,
03:20high-stakes talks with China, and escalating geopolitical crises abroad.
03:25And tonight, Washington is left asking,
03:28was this truly a resignation driven by family tragedy,
03:32or the final chapter in a growing power struggle inside Trump's national security team?
03:59Right?
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