Gabbard defers to Trump when asked if Iran posed "imminent threat" - Axios

Tulsi Gabbard declined to independently assess whether Iran posed an "imminent threat," instead deferring to President Trump's judgment on the question, according to Axios. Gabbard, who serves as Director of National Intelligence, was asked directly about the threat level but chose not to offer her own intelligence community assessment. The exchange underscores questions about the independence of intelligence officials when evaluating foreign threats—a core responsibility of the DNI role. This dynamic is particularly significant given past debates over how the executive branch characterizes threats to justify military or diplomatic action. Intelligence leaders are typically expected to provide candid, unfiltered threat assessments to policymakers, separate from political considerations.