White House Distorts Gabbard’s Iran Testimony to Align with Trump’s Misleading Narrative
The White House has engaged in deceptive editing of a video featuring Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s testimony regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. In the edited clip, Gabbard appears to warn that Iran is nearing the development of nuclear weapons, stating, “Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.” However, this alarming statement omits critical context from her preceding remarks, where she clarified that U.S. intelligence does not assess Iran to be building a nuclear weapon.
In her original testimony, Gabbard emphasized that the U.S. intelligence community (IC) has determined that Iran “is not building a nuclear weapon” and that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has not authorized the resumption of the country’s nuclear weapons program, which was suspended back in 2003. Despite this, the White House chose to selectively showcase her words to paint a picture consistent with Donald Trump’s alarmist positions on Iran.
When questioned about Gabbard’s remarks that directly contradicted his claims, Trump dismissed her statements, stating, “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one.” This interaction highlights Trump’s disinclination to acknowledge facts that contradict his narratives, reinforcing concerns regarding his potential to mislead the public on critical national security issues.
Gabbard has been vocal in her concerns about escalating tensions and the dangers posed by warmongering rhetoric, warning that such actions bring the world closer to nuclear conflict. Her criticism of the political elite resonates as she asserts that the climate of fear could have dire consequences for global peace.
Despite claiming they are aligned on issues regarding Iran, Gabbard’s recent video has reportedly caused friction with Trump, suggesting that dissent within the Republican ranks is seen as intolerable. This incident underscores the ongoing manipulation of information by the Trump administration and the risks of prioritizing political agendas over accurate intelligence.