We now know why former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fell out of favor with Trump, and was forced out of his administration. She was among a handful of intelligence honchos summoned to the White House in February to discuss Trump’s desire to go to war with Iraq. As DNI Gabbard actually provided Trump a truthful assessment with predictions of negative consequences – which came true. By March she was on the outs with Trump. She got frozen out and seemed to disappear. In May she announced her resignation but it’s clear she was forced out.
Gabbard at least had some intel experience from her time in the Air Force but certainly not of the level needed to be DNI. Still, given some of the totally unqualified clowns Trump appointed the feeling was it could have been worse. Most of us had low expectations and I for one find it startling she actually tried to do her job properly and tell Trump hard truths he needed to hear. I’m not convinced she did so for the right reasons however. Much if not all the negative consequences she warned Trump didn’t require a seasoned intelligence person to grasp. I think she probably wanted to keep him from making a major blunder that would cost him and the GOP.
Her miscalculation was thinking Trump would appreciate a truthful assessment of what might, and in fact was likely to go wrong would be appreciated by him. And, she DID keep her mouth shut when Trump ignored her (and others) and instead listened to people like Netanyahu and Hegseth who told him what he wanted to hear. However, the truth has a way of eventually coming out as this article from The Independent tells us.
Trump was riding high, feeling his oats over the success of the previous summer’s Operation Midnight Hammer (the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities) and also the removal of Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela. He also had Bibi Netanyahu egging him on, claiming Iran was weaker than they’d ever been and it was time to extinguish its nuclear ambitions once and for all.
Trump probably assumed with his own picks at the top of our intel apparatus (who had to know he trusted certain other country’s intel more than our own) they’d offer a rosy assessment and that would be that. Except as we know Trump got a cold, hard dose of things he did NOT want to hear:
But according to The Journal’s sources, Gabbard told Trump killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would only usher in a more authoritarian government more likely to seek weapons of mass destruction.
The president was also reportedly told Iran would likely respond to airstrikes by shutting off the Strait of Hormuz to spike oil prices and by retaliating against America’s regional allies, which is exactly what happened.
Military top brass is said to have cautioned Trump the proposed operation would mean casualties, dwindling munitions supplies and overstretched resources.
Everything Gabbard warned Trump about came true. In fact as time has gone on just how much so is increasingly apparent. And devastating to Trump’s political power but more importantly to our overall National Security. What we should focus on however is that Trump didn’t like what he heard so he found people who would tell him what he wanted to hear. That sort of included VP Vance who expressed opposition but said he’d support Trump if we did go to war (and he has) but more troubling is that Trump relied on an idiot like Petey Boy Hegseth who despite having ‘served in war zones’ back in the Army never, never heard a shot fired in anger. Worse, having installed some yes-men (men) at the top of our military command they chose their careers over telling Trump the truth:
Ultimately, according to the Journal, Trump was persuaded by the arguments put forward by his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, who laid out detailed plans for disabling the country with Israel’s help.
Operation Epic Fury was duly launched on February 28 and Khamenei was killed on the first day of the strikes, inspiring an initial wave of euphoria from Trump that quickly gave way once it became clear that the knock-on consequences outlined by Gabbard – who left the administration in May – had come to pass.
So here we are six months later with 3k plus Iranians and 18 U.S. troops dead and another 756 (that we know of) troops injured plus who knows how many Iranians and people in nearby countries that have been our allies. Oil prices are still sky high and the full effects of other commodities being choked off (especially fertilizer – the fall harvest is starting and it’s a safe bet it will be below expectations) have yet to be felt. Trump has had some off ramps suddenly materialize but refused to steer towards them, much less take an off ramp.
Now Trump is talking about defeating Iran via economic pressure. This I remind you is a country that’s largely been an international pariah for decades and economic sanctions are a way of life. Plus, as I noted yesterday what Trump announced proved it was all a bluff – instead of true sanctions that might have an impact we got served a big “TACO.”
In the end what matters is that Trump was warned and by people who had solid intelligence to present to him. He blew off those warnings and is stuck in a war he can’t end without enduring serious personal humiliation. Even a significant chunk of MAGA is upset with him over sticking us with a ‘forever war’ and the midterms are coming. Stay tuned because it’s going to be an ugly, bumpy ride in the months ahead.
