A fresh round of leaks from inside the Trump White House is pulling back the curtain on a power struggle surrounding Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, with veteran operative Roger Stone and activist Laura Loomer cast as central players in a drama over whether Gabbard would be pushed out.
According to Western Journal, the latest intrigue follows the earlier ousters of Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, fueling speculation that Gabbard might be next on the chopping block. As reported by Axios, however, Stones intervention appears to have halted any immediate move to dismiss the staunchly anti-interventionist intelligence chief, at least for now.
Stone himself laid out his version of events on social media, accusing Loomer of trying to manufacture a crisis to force Trumps hand. Last Monday Loomer tried to convince the President that Tulsi Gabbard was about to resign- in an effort to get Trump to move preemptively to fire her. The whole thing was a hoax. Fortunately, I acted in time, Stone posted on X.
He added that Loomers reaction to being challenged only confirmed his suspicions about her motives and tactics in the internal feud. When I called Loomer out on her lie is when she became unhinged, he posted, suggesting that personal vendettas and ideological grudges are driving some of the pressure campaign against Gabbard rather than sober national security concerns.
The Axios account, built largely on anonymous sources, tracks with Stones narrative while underscoring the policy tensions at the heart of the dispute. The outlet reported that Gabbards reluctance to cheerlead for the war with Iran placed her in the White House doghouse, a striking development given that Trumps base has long been wary of endless foreign entanglements and nation-building adventures.
That unease reportedly intensified after the abrupt resignation of Joe Kent, the former counterterrorism director, which critics inside the administration pinned in part on Gabbards posture. The departure of a respected security professional like Kent gave Gabbards internal opponents fresh ammunition, even as many conservatives outside the Beltway remain skeptical of hawkish pressure to escalate overseas conflicts.
Gabbards standing with the president became a focal point after a private meeting between the two, which insiders described in sharply different terms. One account claimed she was scolded and pressed on her loyalty to Trump, while another source told Axios that Trump wasnt that mad, and instead chided Gabbard in a sarcastic but friendly way.
The uncertainty over Trumps mood prompted advisers to be quietly polled about whether Gabbard should stay, a process that soon spilled into public view through a report in The Guardian. That trial balloon appears to have triggered Stones decisive move, with Axios noting that the longtime Trump ally stepped in to argue that firing Gabbard would be politically reckless.
Roger sealed the deal. He saved Tulsi, a source told Axios, capturing the sense that Stones word still carries weight in Trumps orbit. The outlet said four main considerations ultimately tipped the scales in Gabbards favor, all of them rooted in loyalty, optics and the future of the Republican Party.
Gabbard was loyal, gave congressional testimony in a professional manner and never disputed the president, the outlet reported. Gabbard wasnt going to resign like Kent and didnt deserve to be proactively fired.
Axios further warned that dismissing her would hand the corporate media and the left a tailor-made narrative of chaos in Trumps national security team while energizing anti-war conservatives. Firing Gabbard would needlessly create a damaging news cycle for Trump and make her into a martyr of sorts for those in the presidents base agitated by the war, the outlet noted.
The political stakes extend beyond the current term, with some insiders gaming out how a high-profile Gabbard firing could reshape the 2028 GOP primary. If she were fired and given that aura of credibility among MAGA dissenters, Gabbard could become a potent GOP presidential candidate in a little over a year. That might hurt Trumps preferred successor, Vice President Vance, in the early 2028 primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Loomer, for her part, has continued to insist that Gabbards days are numbered, using her platform to predict an imminent exit. Tulsi is done, Loomer posted on X last week. The White House wants zero drama so they gave her the option to resign, but she will do a lot of damage if she is given the choice to resign because she will launch her 2028 presidential campaign.
Official voices inside the administration are pushing back firmly on that narrative, emphasizing continuity and discipline rather than palace intrigue. An ODNI representative said Gabbard remains committed to fulfilling the responsibilities the President placed in her to protect the safety, security and freedom of the American people. She will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of President Trumps agenda.
The White House is sending the same message, underscoring that Trump still views Gabbard as an asset, not a liability, in advancing his America First approach to national security. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, President Trump believes Tulsi Gabbard is doing an excellent job on behalf of the administration. She is a key member of his national security team.
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