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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are the Maga isolationists losing influence over Trump's Iran deliberations?
The Trump administration is managing internal dissent over deliberations on whether to launch a strike against Iran, breaking what many supporters saw as a campaign pledge not to involve the US in new conflicts in the Middle East. Trump for the second time this week disregarded testimony by his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, that Iran had not been seeking to build a nuclear weapon as of March this year. 'She's wrong,' Trump said, then added: 'My intelligence community is wrong.' In a striking about-face, Gabbard late on Friday said her March testimony had been taken 'out of context' by the media and claimed there was no difference between her opinion and Trump's. 'The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division,' she said in a post on X. 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Gabbard was nominated to her position in large part because of her scepticism of the US intelligence community and its role in the US involvement in a series of 'forever wars' in the Middle East, especially the Iraq war. Her transition from Democrat to Trump supporter is indicative of the broad coalition that the president has united under his America First movement – and the potential for a schism as the US grows closer to launching an attack on Iran. Steve Bannon, an influential adviser who has been critical of the potential for a US-Iran war, was seen having lunch at the White House with Trump this week, after a series of podcast episodes in which he and other popular Maga pundits criticised what they saw as preparations for a preemptive US strike against Iran. Bannon came to lunch armed with talking points that the Iran strike would be a bad idea and the massive 30,000lb bunker-buster bombs that could target the Iranian uranium enrichment facility at Fordow may not destroy the target. The Guardian previously reported that Trump was not fully convinced the bombs would destroy the target, and has held off authorising strikes as he also awaits the possibility that the threat of US involvement would lead Iran to talks. Others close to the administration have pushed back forcefully in support of a strike on Iran. Republican congressmen including Mitch McConnell and Tom Cotton have lashed out against the isolationist wing of Trump's support; the radio host Mark Levin has personally spoken with Trump in support of stronger backing for Israel; and other top members of the administration – including secretary of state Marco Rubio – are avowed Iran hawks. Others, such as vice-president JD Vance, are public anti-interventionists but have limited their criticism of potential strikes to allow Trump the space to make a decision. But Bannon is believed to have an outsized influence on Trump's decision-making on the war. According to US media, he has warned the president he shouldn't trust Israeli intelligence that the Iranian government was seeking a nuclear weapon imminently. Others in the Maga wing of Trump's support have sought to rebuild ties after sharply criticising the president's positioning on the Israeli strikes against Iran. Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, had called Trump earlier this week in order to apologise after blasting those advising Trump to launch strikes against Iran as 'warmongers'. 'Tucker is a nice guy,' Trump said from the Oval Office on Wednesday. 'He called and apologised the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that.'
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Are the Maga isolationists losing influence over Trump's Iran deliberations?
The Trump administration is managing internal dissent over deliberations on whether to launch a strike against Iran, breaking what many supporters saw as a campaign pledge not to involve the US in new conflicts in the Middle East. Trump for the second time this week disregarded testimony by his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, that Iran had not been seeking to build a nuclear weapon as of March this year. 'She's wrong,' Trump said, then added: 'My intelligence community is wrong.' In a striking about-face, Gabbard late on Friday said her March testimony had been taken 'out of context' by the media and claimed there was no difference between her opinion and Trump's. 'The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division,' she said in a post on X. 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Gabbard was nominated to her position in large part because of her skepticism of the US intelligence community and its role in the US involvement in a series of 'forever wars' in the Middle East, especially the Iraq war. Her transition from Democrat to Trump supporter is indicative of the broad coalition that Trump has united under his America First movement – and the potential for a schism as the US grows closer to launching an attack on Iran. Steve Bannon, an influential advisor who has been critical of the potential for a US-Iran war, was seen having lunch at the White House with Trump this week, following a series of podcast episodes in which he and other popular MAGA pundits criticised what they saw as preparations for a preemptive US strike against Iran. Bannon came to lunch armed with talking points that the Iran strike would be a bad idea and the massive 30,000lb bunker-buster bombs that could target the Iranian uranium enrichment facility at Fordow may not destroy the target. The Guardian previously reported that Trump was not fully convinced the bombs would destroy the target, and has held off authorising strikes as he also awaits the possibility that the threat of US involvement would lead Iran to talks. Others close to the administration have pushed back forcefully in support of a strike on Iran. Republican congressmen including Mitch McConnell and Tom Cotton have lashed out against the isolationist wing of Trump's support; the radio host Mark Levin has personally spoken with Trump in support of stronger backing for Israel; and other top members of the administration – including secretary of state Marco Rubio – are avowed Iran hawks. Others, such as vice-president JD Vance, are public anti-interventionists but have limited their criticism of potential strikes to allow Trump the space to make a decision. But Bannon is believed to have an outsized influence on Trump's decision-making on the war. According to US media, he has warned Trump he shouldn't trust Israeli intelligence that the Iranian government was seeking a nuclear weapon imminently. Others in the MAGA wing of Trump's support have sought to rebuild ties after sharply criticising Trump's positioning on the Israeli strikes against Iran. Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, had called Trump earlier this week in order to apologise after blasting those advising Trump to launch strikes against Iran as 'warmongers.' 'Tucker is a nice guy,' Trump said from the Oval Office on Wednesday. 'He called and apologised the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that.'
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Is Iran close to building a nuke? Trump says his intelligence community 'is wrong'
"My intelligence community is wrong." With those words, Donald Trump waved away the advice of the entire US spy infrastructure — from the CIA, to the Defence Intelligence Agency, to the intelligence arms of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force — and its assessment that Iran was not trying to build a nuclear weapon. That assessment was presented to the US Congress in March by Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's hand-picked director of National Intelligence. "The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon," Ms Gabbard said. "Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised a nuclear weapon program that he suspended in 2003." On Wednesday, Donald Trump said simply, "She's wrong." As is so often the case under Trump, what once would have been a breathtaking shattering of norms is just another day. Trump's rejection of the intelligence community's advice has deep resonance in the United States, and particularly among Trump's MAGA base in the Republican Party. Trump campaigned hard on keeping America out of foreign 'forever' wars like Iraq, based on faulty intelligence over Saddam Hussein's non-existent weapons of mass destruction. It's why key figures in Trump's MAGA, America First base of support are dead against any US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. But there are influential old-school Republican Iran hawks, like Senator Lindsey Graham, who are pushing the president for regime change in Iran. "Be all in, President Trump, in helping Israel eliminate the nuclear threat," Senator Graham said. "If we need to provide bombs to Israel, provide bombs. If we need to fly planes with Israel, do joint operations. "But here's the bigger question: Wouldn't the world be better off if the ayatollahs went away and were replaced by something better? Wouldn't Iran be better off?" The two sides met head-on in a fiery exchange between media figure Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz, both firm Trump supporters. "How many people live in Iran, by the way?" Carlson asked. "I don't know the population at all," Cruz replied. Carlson was incredulous. "You don't know the population you seek to topple?" The big question is — which side is getting in the president's ear as he waits to decide on whether the US will attack Iran? Tulsi Gabbard certainly appears to be on the outer. Today, she took to X to try to repair the relationship with Trump. "The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division," she wrote. "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree." The "missing" context was that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was "at its highest levels, and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons". She also testified that nuclear weapons advocates in the Iranian leadership were feeling "emboldened". The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also recently found that Iran has not been complying with weapons inspectors since 2019 — its first such finding in two decades. In the end, none of that may matter. Donald Trump has said he will decide in two weeks about whether to choose the military or diplomatic option. He may be waiting to see which option is more likely to succeed — or which way the debate among his supporters goes.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump's top spy confirms worst fears about Iran after public rebuke from president as US prepares military strike
Tulsi Gabbard finally responded to claims that she said Iran did not have nuclear capabilities after Donald Trump called her 'wrong' on the issue. Trump's Director of National Intelligence had testified in March that the U.S. intelligence community 'continues to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.' She posted to X Friday that 'The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division. America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Gabbard included video of her testimony from March that while the intelligence community suggests that, the Iranians appear clearly to have 'enriched uranium stockpiles at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.' She also noted that Iran 'contains a wide range of threats' to the United States and Israel. Gabbard said that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had 'not authorized a nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.' Trump said earlier Friday that Gabbard was wrong when she said that Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon. 'Well, then my intelligence community is wrong,' he said Friday at Joint Base Andrews, to a question about what evidence he had that Iran was building a nuclear bomb. But Trump said Friday as he was departing for his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club 'it looked like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already.' 'It is a tremendous amount of material and I think within a matter of weeks or certainly within a matter of months they will be able to have a nuclear weapon and we can't let that happen,' Trump said. After landing in New Jersey for an evening fundraiser for his super political action committee, Trump was asked about Gabbard's comments to Congress in March that U.S. spy agencies believed that Iran wasn't working on nuclear warheads. The president responded, 'Well then, my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?' Informed that it had been Gabbard, Trump said, 'She's wrong.' Still, disavowing Gabbard´s previous assessment came a day after the White House said Trump would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military would get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. It said seeking additional time was 'based on the fact that there´s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.' But on Friday, Trump himself seemed to cast doubts on the possibility of talks leading to a pause in fighting between Israel and Iran. He said that, while he might support a ceasefire, Israel's strikes on Iran could be 'very hard to stop.' Asked about Iran suggesting that, if the U.S. was serious about furthering negotiations, it could call on Israel to stop its strikes, Trump responded, 'I think it´s very hard to make that request right now.' 'If somebody is winning, it´s a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing,' Trump said. 'But we´re ready, willing and able, and we´ve been speaking to Iran, and we´ll see what happens.' The president later added, 'It´s very hard to stop when you look at it.' 'Israel´s doing well in terms of war. And, I think, you would say that Iran is doing less well. It´s a little bit hard to get somebody to stop,' Trump said. Earlier Friday, reported that Gabbard has been the target of a smear campaign from 'deep state' intelligence officials seeking to undermine her influence through strategic leaks as President Trump ponders whether to join Israel's war against Iran, those close to her tell the Daily Mail. Gabbard is in the room, helping the president and his team determine an informed path forward, these officials stressed, pushing back against multiple reports indicating that she's been sidelined. In fact, the president is calling on her, the sources claim. Multiple intelligence officials spoke with the Daily Mail about Trump's spy chief's schedule and work since Israel launched an attack on Iran last week, shedding light on a normally clandestine affair. 'All the National Security Council meetings she's in on, and then, I mean, there's lots of impromptu ones where he's calling her into the office,' one senior intelligence official shared. 'She's in there at all the key junctures,' the source added. 'She's been in every meeting,' a White House official told the Daily Mail, adding the DNI 'has not been sidelined whatsoever.' Reports have suggested that Trump has been advised by a smaller cohort, including VP J.D. Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. They say Gabbard and Pentagon Sec. Pete Hegseth are on the outside looking in. But these Gabbard allies told the Daily Mail the DNI has attended practically every crucial meeting at the White House and Situation Room since the conflict began. Vice President Vance also threw his weight behind Gabbard with a glowing social media post: 'She's an essential member of our national security team, and we're grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats.' The White House official added that Hegseth has also been an integral member of ongoing military discussions regarding the Middle East. Trump campaigned on decrying 'endless wars' and has vowed to be an international peacemaker. That's led some, even among conservatives, to point to Trump´s past criticism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq beginning in 2003 as being at odds with his more aggressive stance toward Iran now. Trump suggested the two situations were very different, though. 'There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,' Trump said of his past criticism of the administration of President George W. Bush. He added of Iran´s current nuclear program, 'It looked like I´m right about the material that they´ve gathered already. It´s a tremendous amount of material.' Trump also cast doubts on Iran's developing nuclear capabilities for civilian pursuits, like power generation. 'You´re sitting on one of the largest oil piles anywhere in the world,' he said. 'It´s a little bit hard to see why you´d need that.'
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Trump says his intel chief was ‘wrong' to believe Iran was not building a nuclear weapon
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Friday that his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was 'wrong' when she previously said that the US believed Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, and he suggested that it would be 'very hard to stop' Israel's strikes on Iran in order to negotiate a possible ceasefire. Trump has recently taken a more aggressive public stance toward Tehran as he's sought more time to weigh whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility. Buried under a mountain, the facility is believed to be out of the reach of all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. After landing in New Jersey for an evening fundraiser for his super political action committee, Trump was asked about Gabbard's comments to Congress in March that US spy agencies believed that Iran wasn't working on nuclear warheads. The president responded, 'Well then, my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?' Informed that it had been Gabbard, Trump said, 'She's wrong.' In a subsequent post on X, Gabbard said her testimony was taken out of context 'as a way to manufacture division.' 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly,' she wrote. 'President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Still, disavowing Gabbard's previous assessment came a day after the White House said Trump would decide within two weeks whether the US military would get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. It said seeking additional time was 'based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.' But on Friday, Trump himself seemed to cast doubts on the possibility of talks leading to a pause in fighting between Israel and Iran. He said that, while he might support a ceasefire, Israel's strikes on Iran could be 'very hard to stop.' Asked about Iran suggesting that, if the US was serious about furthering negotiations, it could call on Israel to stop its strikes, Trump responded, 'I think it's very hard to make that request right now.' 'If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing,' Trump said. 'But we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens.' The president later added, 'It's very hard to stop when you look at it.' 'Israel's doing well in terms of war. And, I think, you would say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop,' Trump said. Trump campaigned on decrying 'endless wars' and has vowed to be an international peacemaker. That's led some, even among conservatives, to point to Trump's past criticism of the US invasion of Iraq beginning in 2003 as being at odds with his more aggressive stance toward Iran now. Trump suggested the two situations were very different, though. 'There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,' Trump said of his past criticism of the administration of President George W. Bush. He added of Iran's current nuclear program, 'It looked like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous amount of material.' Trump also cast doubts on Iran's developing nuclear capabilities for civilian pursuits, like power generation. 'You're sitting on one of the largest oil piles anywhere in the world,' he said. 'It's a little bit hard to see why you'd need that.'
