Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's future in the Trump administration is being questioned after her top aide and "closest adviser," Joe Kent — who served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center — abruptly resigned in protest against the Iran war on Tuesday.
Trump White House reporter Jake Lahut commented that Kent's resignation "puts Tulsi in an even more precarious position."
"Embarrassing for Tulsi," remarked Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark.
Gabbard's standing in the administration has at times appeared tenuous, and has been questioned before, including over Iran — the reason Kent quit.
As The Hill reported last June, Gabbard's "strength and standing within the Trump administration" were coming under question "after the president twice publicly brushed off her testimony that Iran is not close to developing a nuclear weapon, and amid reports of tensions between the two."
Gabbard's "anti-war stance" at the time fit in with the "MAGA movement’s aversion to getting the U.S. sucked into foreign conflicts," although now Trump voters largely support his Iran war.
Gabbard was told by the White House to fire Kent for being a "known leaker," but "she never did," according to Fox News' Aishah Hasnie, citing a senior Trump administration official. Hasnie also reported that Kent "was cut out of" the president's intelligence briefings "months ago," and that Kent "has not been part of any Iran planning discussions or briefings at all."
MS NOW national security contributor Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA officer, called Kent's resignation a "nuke from a true MAGA member," and commented, the "big question, is Tulsi next?"
Michael V. Hayden Center director Larry Pfeiffer asked, "Over/under on how quickly Gabbard throws Kent under the bus at the hearing tomorrow?" Last year, Pfeiffer called Gabbard "the perfectly dangerous mix of incompetence, narcissism, sycophancy, and malign intent."
Gabbard is slated to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday and before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
Republican former U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock summed it up, asking, Gabbard "kept on a known leaker in a national security position?"
"Let’s face it," she added, "Tulsi has been cut out too because she agrees with Kent - or at least always did before Trump flipped his position."
Far-right political activist Laura Loomer, who at times has had the ear of President Trump, responded to Kent's resignation by predicting that Gabbard "will resign next."
