Trump blows off Gabbard downplaying Iran nuke threat, but WH still says president and intel chief are in sync

The White House said President Donald Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard are intimately aligned connected Iran aft the president precocious declared helium did not "care" what Gabbard had to accidental during erstwhile Senate grounds aft she argued Iran was not gathering a atomic weapon. 

Gabbard dismissed concerns Iran was gathering a atomic limb during March grounds earlier the Senate, conscionable months earlier Israel launched preemptive strikes connected Iran straight successful effect to Israeli quality showing Iran could nutrient a atomic limb successful a abbreviated span of time. 

Trump was asked astir Gabbard's grounds portion traveling backmost to Washington Monday evening from the G7 acme successful Canada, and the president said helium didn't "care" what Gabbard had to accidental successful erstwhile grounds and saying helium believes Iran is adjacent to gathering a nuke. 

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"You've ever said that you don't judge Iran should beryllium capable to person a atomic weapon," a newsman asked Trump portion aboard Air Force One Monday. "But however adjacent bash you personally deliberation that they were to getting one?" 

"Very close," Trump responded.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard dismissed concerns Iran was gathering a atomic limb during March grounds earlier the Senate.  (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

"Because Tulsi Gabbard testified successful March that the quality assemblage said Iran wasn't gathering a atomic weapon," the newsman continued. 

Trump changeable back, "I don't attraction what she said. I deliberation they were precise adjacent to having one."

When Gabbard appeared earlier the Senate Intelligence Committee successful March, she delivered a connection connected behalf of the quality assemblage that included grounds that Iran was not actively gathering a atomic weapon. 

"Iran's cyber operations and capabilities besides contiguous a superior menace to U.S. networks and data," Gabbard told the committee March 26. 

The quality assemblage "continues to measure that Iran is not gathering a atomic weapon, and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the atomic weapons programme that helium suspended successful 2003," she said. 

"We proceed to show intimately if Tehran decides to reauthorize its atomic weapons program," she added astatine the time. "In the past year, we've seen an erosion of a decades-long taboo successful Iran connected discussing atomic weapons successful public, apt emboldening atomic weapons advocates wrong Iran's decision-making apparatus. 

"Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is astatine its highest levels and is unprecedented for a authorities without atomic weapons. Iran volition apt proceed efforts to counter Israel and property for U.S. subject withdrawal from the portion by aiding, arming and helping to reconstitute its escaped consortium of like-minded violent actors, which it refers to arsenic its axis of resistance.

Israeli aerial defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles implicit the Israeli metropolis of Tel Aviv during a caller barrage of Iranian rockets June 16, 2025. (Menahem Kahanna/AFP via Getty Images)

"Although weakened, this postulation of actors inactive presents a wide scope of threats, including to Israel's population. U.S. forces deployed successful Iraq and Syria, arsenic good arsenic U.S. and planetary subject and commercialized shipping and transit."

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A White House authoritative told Fox News Digital Tuesday day Trump and Gabbard are intimately aligned and that the favoritism being raised betwixt Gabbard's March grounds and Trump's remarks that Iran is "very close" to getting a atomic limb is 1 without a difference. 

The authoritative noted that Gabbard underscored successful her March grounds that Iran had the resources to perchance physique a atomic weapon. Her grounds successful March reflected quality she received that Iran wasn't gathering a limb astatine the time, but that the state could bash truthful based connected the resources it amassed for specified an endeavor. 

The White House has said Trump and Gabbard are intimately aligned connected Iran.  (Jack Gruber/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

A elder U.S. quality authoritative who works with Gabbard told Fox News Tuesday determination is nary daylight betwixt the quality Israel and the United States person some received connected Iran's uranium enrichment program. 

"Everyone is saying the aforesaid thing," the authoritative said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency's estimation earlier successful June that Iranian stockpiles included 60% enriched uranium that could go 90%. 

Israel launched preemptive strikes connected Iran Thursday evening aft months of attempted and stalled atomic negotiations and consequent heightened interest that Iran was advancing its atomic program. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared soon aft that the strikes were indispensable to "roll backmost the Iranian menace to Israel's precise survival."

EXPLOSIVE NEW INTELLIGENCE REPORT REVEALS IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM STILL ACTIVE

He added that if Israel had not acted, "Iran could produce a atomic limb successful a precise abbreviated time." 

Dubbed "Operation Rising Lion," the strikes targeted Iran's atomic and rocket infrastructure and killed a fistful of elder Iranian subject leaders.

Firefighters and rescue unit enactment astatine the tract of a rocket onslaught from Iran connected Israel successful Haifa June 15, 2025.  (Rami Shlush/Reuters)

Gen. Michael Kurilla, the U.S. Central Command chief, besides said June 10, up of Israel's strikes, that Iran has the materials to physique a atomic limb wrong 1 week. 

"It is estimated that existent stockpiles and the disposable centrifuges ... are capable to nutrient (Iran's) archetypal 25kg of weapons-grade worldly successful astir 1 week, and capable for up to 10 atomic weapons successful 3 weeks," helium said, according to a erstwhile tweet posted to the White House's Rapid Response X account.

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Gabbard notably was not invited to Camp David earlier successful June, earlier Israel's onslaught connected Iran, erstwhile Trump huddled with subject leaders and apical Cabinet officials astatine the statesmanlike retreat successful Maryland. Gabbard had scheduling issues astatine the clip owed to the activation of the National Guard successful California arsenic convulsive riots broke retired successful effect to the Trump administration's migration raids successful Los Angeles, but she was not invited, Fox News learned. 

Officials specified arsenic Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did articulation the talks, Fox Digital antecedently reported. 

Gabbard, however, was contiguous Tuesday successful the White House's Situation Room, wherever Trump was monitoring the flaring Middle East clashes. 

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters portion flying aboard Air Force One en way from Calgary, Canada, to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, precocious June 16, 2025.  (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)

Conflict betwixt Israel and Iran has intensified since Thursday. Iran said Israel's archetypal strikes were a "declaration of war" and subsequently launched its ain strikes connected Israel, which person rocked residential communities and killed residents.

Trump had repeatedly urged Iran to marque a woody connected its atomic program, but the state pulled retired of ongoing talks with the U.S. scheduled for Sunday successful Oman. 

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"Iran should person signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign," Trump posted to Truth Social Monday evening, erstwhile helium abruptly near an ongoing G7 acme successful Canada to amended absorption connected the Israel–Iran conflict. "What a shame, and discarded of quality life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it implicit and implicit again! Everyone should instantly evacuate Tehran!" 

President Donald Trump and Tulsi Gabbard shingle hands connected the 2024 statesmanlike run trail.  (Paul Sancya/The Associated Press)

On Tuesday, Trump announced the U.S. present has "complete and full power of the skies implicit Iran," adding successful different station that Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei's determination had been determined. 

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"We cognize precisely wherever the alleged 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," Trump posted Tuesday afternoon. "He is an casual target, but is harmless determination - We are not going to instrumentality him retired (kill!), astatine slightest not for now. But we don’t privation missiles changeable astatine civilians, oregon American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attraction to this matter!" 

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.