Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s director of national intelligence, has issued a chilling wake-up call about the very real danger of nuclear war—and she’s using history to drive the message home.

Her latest video, posted on X (formerly Twitter), starts not with threats or finger-pointing, but with a deeply emotional reflection on her visit to Hiroshima, the site of one of the world’s most devastating nuclear attacks.

“It’s hard to find the words to express what I saw,” she says quietly, recalling the overwhelming aftermath of the 1945 bombing that killed over 300,000 people—many in an instant, and many more in the slow, painful months that followed.

Hiroshima’s Past, Today’s Potential Future

As Gabbard speaks, the video cuts between archival footage from the aftermath of Hiroshima and stark reminders of the destruction nuclear bombs can cause.

But her key point? That bomb, as horrific as it was, pales in comparison to the firepower of today’s nuclear arsenal.

“Yet this one bomb that caused so much destruction in Hiroshima was tiny compared to today’s nuclear bombs,” she explains, as animated graphics visualize the enormous power modern warheads now carry.

Then comes the turning point. Gabbard doesn’t hold back: “We are closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.”

A Haunting Simulation of San Francisco

To hammer in just how close we might be, the video takes a terrifying turn—an AI-generated simulation of a nuclear bomb hitting San Francisco.

Viewers watch the iconic Golden Gate Bridge shatter in slow motion, followed by an eerie greenish sky, smothered by fallout clouds that block out the sun.

It’s a chilling glimpse into what could happen if diplomacy fails.

Although she doesn’t name specific nations as threats, Gabbard shifts blame to what she calls the “political elite warmongers,” accusing them of drumming up fear and escalating tensions.

Her message is clear: these elites might have access to underground shelters—regular people don’t.

Trump’s Team Defends the Message

In response to growing attention around the video, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) backed Gabbard’s message.

Alexa Henning, deputy chief of staff for the ODNI, told the Daily Mail that acknowledging the horrors of the past is essential to building a peaceful future.

Henning added that President Trump is well aware of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear war and has made peace a top priority—something he’s emphasized repeatedly in recent months.

Who Are the Real Nuclear Threats?

A recent ODNI threat assessment, published back in March, outlines the growing nuclear capabilities of several major global players:

China is actively modernizing its nuclear program and developing new delivery systems. According to the report, their arsenal is now capable of launching devastating attacks on U.S. soil.
Russia remains the most heavily armed nation with the largest and most varied nuclear stockpile. Its air, sea, and ground-based weapons pose a major threat to the U.S. homeland.
North Korea, under Kim Jong Un, continues to expand its nuclear warhead count and missile capabilities with the aim of targeting U.S. forces, allies, and potentially the mainland.
Iran, while still under scrutiny, is not currently believed to be actively pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Nonetheless, negotiations with the Trump administration over a possible nuclear deal are ongoing.

Over 12,000 Nuclear Weapons Worldwide

The threat isn’t just theoretical. According to global estimates, there are now more than 12,000 nuclear weapons spread across the globe—more than enough to wipe out life as we know it.

And with tensions rising in the wake of the Ukraine war, nuclear posturing has only gotten bolder.

Just last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons—a move that sparked international concern.

Gabbard’s Final Plea: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Wrapping up her video, Gabbard delivers one final, emotionally charged plea: “Perhaps it’s because [the elites] are confident that they’ll have access to nuclear shelters for themselves and their families. But regular people? We won’t.”

She urges the public to take a stand—to reject the path of war and demand a future where fear of nuclear destruction isn’t the norm.

“So it’s up to us, the people, to speak up and demand an end to this madness,” she says.

“We must reject this path to nuclear war and work toward a world where no one has to live in fear of a nuclear holocaust.”