Trump Responds To Reports He’s Not Happy With DNI Gabbard

President Donald Trump’s White House responded on Wednesday to reports that he’s souring on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard after the sudden resignation of Joe Kent, the now-former director of the National Counterterrorism Center. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quashed those reports in remarks to Fox News.

In response to a question from co-host Dana Perino on whether Trump still stands behind Gabbard, Leavitt said simply: “He does, yes.” That confirmation came as Gabbard was testifying before Congress, according to online reports.

Kent abruptly submitted his resignation on Tuesday, claiming he was opposed to the war against Iran and that the Islamic Republic did not pose any immediate threat to the United States.

“After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” he wrote.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” he continued.

“It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC,” Kent concluded.

Kent was a strong supporter of Trump, and his resignation marks the first high-profile departure during the president’s second term due to a major policy issue.

In response, the president said that while he “liked” Kent, he thought he was “weak on security.” He also seemed nonplussed about the resignation when he was asked about it earlier this week.

“When I read his statement, I realized that it’s a good thing that he’s out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat – every country realized what a threat Iran was,” he said. “When somebody is working with us that says they didn’t think Iran is a threat – we don’t want those people.”

Reports have surfaced since Kent’s resignation that he had been under active investigation by the FBI for leaking classified materials to the media. Leavitt essentially confirmed that on Thursday, while also addressing the broader issue of unauthorized media leaks.

“Anyone who has been suspected of leaking or is proven to be a leaker will not be welcome in this administration,” she said. “I know that for a fact because I’ve heard the President say it myself.”

Gabbard also defended the president in an X post: “As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country.”

After the initial wave of strikes against Iran, Trump cited an “imminent threat” to the US. Administration officials claimed that the US acted in response to potential preemptive attacks by Iran on forces in the region.

However, these claims were contradicted in Pentagon briefings to Capitol Hill, where defense officials stated that Iran was not planning to attack unless provoked.

“Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation,” Kent wrote in his letter, in a reference to Operation Midnight Hammer, a series of U.S. strikes in June 2025 on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Kent added that in his first term, Trump understood how to “decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars,” citing the killing of former Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

Kent attributed the misjudgment about the threat posed by Iran to misleading information from Israeli officials and the media.

“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to victory,” he wrote. “This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.”