A pointed internal joke is reportedly circulating among aides at the White House, where the title of Director of National Intelligence, held by Tulsi Gabbard, is being reinterpreted as 'Do Not Invite'. This barb follows Gabbard's conspicuous exclusion from the high-stakes military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro over the weekend of January 3-4, 2026.
Operation Absolute Resolve: A Need-to-Know Mission
President Donald Trump's orders for Operation Absolute Resolve were strictly on a need-to-know basis, and according to administration sources, Tulsi Gabbard did not need to know. The mission, which successfully apprehended Maduro, was monitored from the situation room at Mar-a-Lago. Secretary of State Marco Rubio specifically pushed for the former Democratic congresswoman to be left out of the loop, as reported by two sources to the Wall Street Journal.
While Gabbard was absent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe was front and centre in photographs released by the White House from the January 3 meeting. The visuals underscored a significant shift: President Trump is increasingly relying on Ratcliffe for crucial intelligence updates, favouring him over his official top intelligence adviser.
Gabbard's Past Comments and Peaceful Posts
The decision to sideline Gabbard appears rooted in her long-standing foreign policy views. In 2019, she staunchly opposed American intervention in Venezuela, and as recently as last month, she criticised 'warmongers' seeking to push the US into conflict. White House sources told Bloomberg they feared Gabbard would not support the action against Maduro.
This stands in stark contrast to her official role. As the Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard is supposed to oversee America's 18 spy agencies, including the CIA. Retired US Air Force intelligence colonel Cedric Leighton told Bloomberg it is 'highly unusual for the DNI not to be involved in any of these operations, especially something like Venezuela.' He added that the Mar-a-Lago pictures were 'a perfect description' of her current standing.
Meanwhile, Gabbard's Instagram feed told a different story. From a beach in Hawaii, she posted about doing yoga and preaching peace, writing on January 1: 'My heart is filled with gratitude, aloha, and peace.' She remained publicly silent on the Venezuela raid for three days, an unusual move for a frequent Fox News guest and outspoken Trump supporter.
Aftermath and Official Denials
Gabbard eventually broke her silence on Tuesday, January 6, posting on X to praise the operation. 'Kudos to our servicemen and women and intelligence operators for their flawless execution of President Trump's order,' she wrote, framing it as a promise kept on border security and narcoterrorism.
This incident is not the first public friction between Trump and his DNI. In June 2025, Trump publicly rebuked Gabbard after she testified to Congress that Iran was 'not building a nuclear weapon,' a statement he dismissed while planning strikes with Israel.
Officials have moved to deny reports of internal division. A spokesman for Marco Rubio dismissed claims he asked for Gabbard's exclusion. State Department official Tommy Pigott called it 'a tired and false narrative attempting to promote a fake story of 'division' when there is none.' A spokeswoman for Gabbard declined to comment further, while a senior intelligence official denied the Bloomberg report, insisting Gabbard had provided important analysis for the mission.
