US Vice President JD Vance has dismissed reports suggesting that he or Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were sidelined from the planning of the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Vance labeled the claims as "false," emphasizing the tight-knit nature of the operation's coordination at senior Cabinet levels. The reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, alleged that Gabbard was deliberately excluded from months of White House discussions due to her historical opposition to US military interventions in Venezuela, raising doubts about her support for the mission.
According to the accounts, Gabbard's exclusion was so apparent that some White House aides jokingly referred to her DNI title as "Do Not Invite," though a White House official denied any such humor. As a former Democratic congresswoman, Gabbard had publicly urged the US to "stay out" of Venezuela in 2019 and, more recently in December 2025, criticized "warmongers" for pushing the nation toward conflict. This stance has fueled ongoing tensions within the Trump administration, highlighting divisions over foreign policy despite President Donald Trump's campaign promises against initiating new wars.
Vance, speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, reiterated unity within the team: "We're all part of the same team." He praised the operation's secrecy, which was maintained over an extended period. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung affirmed Trump's full confidence in Gabbard, stating she is performing "a fantastic job." A senior intelligence official countered the exclusion narrative, noting that Gabbard contributed analytical intelligence to the mission, even if she was not involved in operational planning.
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The operation to oust Maduro has exposed rifts not only among Trump's MAGA supporters but also within his inner circle. Photos released by the White House depicted Trump and key aides—including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller—monitoring the events in real-time, with Gabbard notably absent. Former intelligence officials described her non-involvement as "highly unusual," given the DNI's role as the president's principal intelligence adviser overseeing 18 agencies.
Gabbard broke her initial silence on the operation via a social media post on Tuesday, commending the "flawless execution" by US servicemembers and aligning it with Trump's goals to combat narcoterrorism and secure borders. However, her prior post on January 1 showed her on a beach, expressing personal gratitude and peace. Under Trump, Gabbard has focused on declassifying documents related to high-profile issues like the JFK assassination and Russian election interference, while emphasizing efforts to dismantle perceived "Deep State" elements in the intelligence community.
Experts like retired US Air Force intelligence colonel Cedric Leighton and Eurasia Group's Marc Gustafson noted that while excluding the DNI from such planning is unorthodox, it is not unprecedented, as past administrations have sometimes favored the CIA director in operational matters. Gabbard's Iraq War veteran background and consistent anti-regime-change rhetoric continue to shape her approach, as evidenced in her October 2025 speech advocating an end to "endless cycles of regime change or nation-building." The episode underscores evolving dynamics in US foreign policy under the second Trump administration.
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