Power dynamics inside the White House don’t always change with loud announcements.
Sometimes, they shift quietly, through who gets invited into the room — and who doesn’t.
Lately, Tulsi Gabbard appears to be on the outside looking in, as aides circulate a biting joke that her DNI title now stands for “Do Not Invite.”
That nickname gained traction after Gabbard was notably left out of President Donald Trump’s high-stakes weekend operation targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, an omission that has sparked fresh questions about her standing in the administration.
An Operation Kept on a Tight Leash
The mission, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was handled on a strict need-to-know basis.
According to multiple reports, Gabbard simply didn’t make the list.
The directive from the President was clear: limit the circle — and Gabbard wasn’t included.
Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Secretary of State Marco Rubio actively supported keeping the former Democratic congresswoman out of the loop.
While that claim has been disputed, it adds to the growing perception that Gabbard’s influence is waning.
Enter John Ratcliffe, Front and Center
As Gabbard was sidelined, CIA Director John Ratcliffe stepped into the spotlight.
He featured prominently in the official images released from the Mar-a-Lago situation room, signaling where the President’s confidence currently lies.
Trump, insiders say, has increasingly leaned on Ratcliffe for key intelligence briefings, often favoring him over Gabbard.
The contrast was hard to miss — one intelligence chief absent, the other visibly at the center of decision-making.
Old Venezuela Views Resurface
Gabbard’s past comments about Venezuela may be haunting her.
Back in 2019, she openly opposed U.S. intervention in the country.
Even as recently as last month, she criticized what she called “warmongers” pushing America toward foreign conflicts.
Those positions reportedly raised concerns inside the White House, with officials fearing she might resist or question the Maduro operation.
Bloomberg cited sources suggesting this lack of alignment played a role in her exclusion.
Conflicting Accounts From Inside Government
Not everyone agrees with that narrative.
A senior intelligence official pushed back, insisting that Gabbard contributed meaningful analysis that helped shape the mission overall, even if she wasn’t visibly involved in the operation itself.
Still, optics matter — and the visuals told a different story.
Yoga, Peace, and a Very Different Message
While the administration executed a dramatic foreign operation, Gabbard’s social media painted a calmer picture.
Her Instagram posts showed her practicing yoga and sharing reflections on peace from Hawaii.
“My heart is filled with gratitude, aloha, and peace,” she wrote on January 1 — a tone that stood in sharp contrast to the urgency and aggression of the operation unfolding behind the scenes.
Why Her Absence Raised Eyebrows
As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard is technically the President’s top intelligence adviser, overseeing all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA.
That’s why her apparent exclusion raised alarms among intelligence veterans.
“It’s highly unusual for the DNI not to be involved in something like Venezuela,” said retired U.S. Air Force intelligence colonel Cedric Leighton.
He described the situation room photos as a visual representation of Gabbard’s current marginalization.
Silence, Then a Delayed Statement
Adding to the intrigue, Gabbard stayed quiet for three days after the Venezuela raid — an unusual move for someone typically vocal in her support for Trump and highly active on Fox News and social media.
When she finally spoke, her message aligned firmly with the administration.
Writing on X, she praised the operation and applauded U.S. service members and intelligence personnel for executing Trump’s orders under Operation Absolute Resolve.
A History of Public Tension With Trump
This isn’t the first time Gabbard has found herself at odds with the President.
In June, Trump publicly brushed off her congressional testimony stating that Iran was “not building a nuclear weapon” — comments made as he weighed military action alongside Israel.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, a blunt dismissal that underscored the growing distance between them.
Denials, Damage Control, and an Open Question
A spokesperson for Marco Rubio rejected claims that the Secretary of State had pushed for Gabbard’s exclusion.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott dismissed the entire narrative as manufactured drama, calling it a “tired and false” attempt to create the illusion of internal division.
Still, the unanswered question lingers.
With her influence seemingly reduced and trust shifting elsewhere, many are now wondering — what role will Tulsi Gabbard truly play moving forward?
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