Tulsi Gabbard sidelined from Venezuela planning over past anti-war stance

Bloomberg reporting, cited by Investing.com, says Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was excluded from White House planning sessions on Venezuela because of her past opposition to military intervention, while officials say she continued to contribute intelligence in a more analytical role.

Bloomberg reporting, cited by Investing.com, says Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was excluded from some White House planning sessions on Venezuela amid concerns about her prior opposition to military intervention. The matter drew attention because the exclusion was reportedly well known inside the administration. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung expressed public support for Gabbard and said President Trump has confidence in her. A senior intelligence official said her contributions continued but were more analytical than operational. Key details: - The reporting links Gabbard's exclusion from Venezuela planning to her past statements opposing U.S. military involvement in the country. - Some White House staffers reportedly joked that the DNI acronym stood for Do Not Invite, indicating the exclusion was widely noted inside the building. - Communications Director Steven Cheung said the president has full confidence in DNI Gabbard and praised her work. - A senior intelligence official disputed that she was completely left out, saying she provided intelligence input that was more analytical in nature. - Several former officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations described the sidelining as unusual for someone in the DNI role, and said the exclusion intensified in late summer. Summary: The reporting highlights differing accounts within the administration about how fully DNI Tulsi Gabbard was involved in planning on Venezuela and draws attention to questions about internal coordination at senior levels. Undetermined at this time.