Tulsi Gabbard’s May 2019 warning that U.S. military intervention in Venezuela would be “disastrous” has resurfaced after reported U.S. airstrikes in Caracas and the detention of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Gabbard urged diplomacy, warned such action could spark civil war and escalate tensions among major powers, and recommended engaging countries that influence Venezuela. Critics of the strikes cited the lack of congressional authorization, concerns over President Trump’s past pardon of Juan Orlando Hernández, and Maduro’s disputed July 2024 transfer of power. Gabbard, now DNI, has not posted on her official X accounts since the operation, and her 2019 comments circulated widely online.
Tulsi Gabbard’s 2019 Warning That U.S. Intervention In Venezuela Would Be 'Disastrous' Resurfaces After Reported U.S. Airstrikes
Tulsi Gabbard hearing
News emerged early Saturday that the Trump administration carried out airstrikes in Caracas, Venezuela, and detained President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before transferring them to the United States.
Years earlier, then-congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard had publicly warned against precisely this kind of intervention. On May 13, 2019, she tweeted that toppling a foreign government by force typically produces disastrous outcomes and included a clip of her remarks on Fox News.
Gabbard's 2019 Warning
“Throughout history, every time the US topples a foreign country’s dictator/government, the outcome has been disastrous,” Gabbard wrote. “Civil war/military intervention in Venezuela will wreak death & destruction to Venezuelan people, and increase tensions that threaten our national security.”
In the Fox News excerpt she criticized what she described as “increased sabre rattling and tensions” that could push the United States into “yet another wasteful, counterproductive regime‑change war under the guise of humanitarianism.” She urged diplomatic measures instead, including engagement with influential countries such as Russia, and warned that military intervention could draw in other major powers — heightening the risk of broader confrontation.
Reaction To The Reported Strikes
The reported airstrikes and Maduro's capture prompted immediate criticism on multiple fronts. Critics argued President Trump did not seek prior congressional authorization for the operation and pointed to his December pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández — convicted of drug trafficking — as part of broader controversy over his foreign-policy decisions. Others focused on Maduro's record of domestic repression and the disputed July 2024 transfer of power after an election that opposition leader Edmundo González said he had won.
Since the strikes, Gabbard has not posted on any of her X accounts, including her personal handle @TulsiGabbard, her DNI account @DNIGabbard, or the DNI's official account @ODNIgov. In the days before the operation, as Trump’s rhetoric against Maduro intensified, Gabbard’s 2019 tweet attracted renewed attention and replies urging her to alert the administration directly. After the strikes it was widely shared and often accompanied by mocking or critical commentary; Washington Post intelligence reporter Josh Rogin urged Gabbard to “call your office,” and some online commenters speculated she might resign her DNI post.
Background
Gabbard suspended her 2020 presidential campaign in March 2020 and later endorsed Joe Biden. After the 2024 election, President Trump nominated her as Director of National Intelligence; she was confirmed and sworn into office in February 2025.
The original story first appeared on Mediaite.
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