Reports say Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was excluded from White House discussions about an operation to remove Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal report aides intentionally kept her out of planning—with some allegedly joking her initials meant “Do Not Invite”—an allegation the White House denies. The reports note Gabbard previously opposed intervention in Venezuela, later switched parties and endorsed Trump, and has had past public disagreements with the president over Iran policy.
‘Do Not Invite’: Reports Say DNI Tulsi Gabbard Was Shut Out Of White House Venezuela Plan
Tulsi Gabbard
Reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal say Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not briefed on White House planning for an operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Bloomberg reported Thursday that White House officials excluded the nation’s top intelligence officer from discussions about the planned ouster, which sources say was carried out on Saturday. People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Gabbard had long opposed U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
“The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela,” Gabbard tweeted in 2019 as a member of Congress. “Let the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don’t want other countries to choose our leaders–so we have to stop trying to choose theirs.”
Since then, those sources note, Gabbard changed her party affiliation to Republican and endorsed President Donald Trump in 2024.
Bloomberg quoted three people who said the decision to keep Gabbard out of meetings was so widely known among some aides that they joked the initials of her title, “DNI,” stood for “Do Not Invite.” A White House official denied anyone made that joke.
The Wall Street Journal added that, as Trump officials finalized plans, Gabbard was posting photos from a beach in her native Hawai‘i and was reportedly not briefed on the operation’s details. The Journal reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among those who wanted to keep her away from planning sessions.
At a White House briefing when asked about the reports, Vice President J.D. Vance dismissed them. “That’s completely false,” he said, adding that planning was kept tightly restricted to senior cabinet-level and related officials.
The coverage also recalls past friction between Gabbard and President Trump. Gabbard drew criticism after she testified to Congress that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon; Mr. Trump later questioned that assessment amid his decision last year to order strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Reporting note: This article synthesizes accounts from Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and Mediaite and reports statements from unnamed officials, the White House, and published social posts.
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