President Donald Trump is frustrated at Director of National Intelligence head Tulsi Gabbard and has asked administration officials about whether he should replace her, according to a new report.
The Guardian noted that the president's anger is largely a result of the fact that she protected a now former deputy, director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent, who resigned over the war with Iran and claimed he has been dragged into it by Israel.
Trump took aim at Kent after his resignation, saying he "always thought he was weak on security." "It's a good thing that he's out," Trump told press at the Oval Office last month. "I realized that it's a good thing that he's out because he said Iran was not a threat. It was a threat. every country realized what a threat it was. The question was whether or not they wanted to do something about it."
The outlet added that there is no clear candidate to replace her, and advisers have warned Trump that creating the vacancy without having a successor could cause political distractions.
It went on to highlight that Gabbard's standing was further weakened after she refused to condemn Kent during a hearing on Capitol Hill.
Trump has not criticized Gabbard in public as of yet. Asked on Sunday if he still had confidence in her, he said "yeah, sure": "I mean, she's a little bit different in her thought process than me, but that doesn't make somebody not available to serve."
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung also stood by the official: "As President Trump just said in his remarks, he has confidence in Director Gabbard and the tireless work she is doing. He has assembled the most talented and impactful cabinet ever, and they have collectively delivered historic victories on behalf of the American people," he told The Guardian.
Gabbard did not react personally to the report, but Olivia Coleman, a spokesperson for her, noted that "over the past two weeks, President Trump said both that he has confidence in the DNI and that she did well at her hearings before Congress." "She remains committed to fulfilling the responsibilities the president placed in her," she added.
