White House Denies Sidelining Tulsi Gabbard & JD Vance in Venezuela Operation

Reports of Exclusion from Venezuela Operation

• 💡 Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance were sidelined from planning Operation Absolute Resolve against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
• 📌 Gabbard's past opposition to military intervention in Venezuela was cited as a reason for skepticism regarding her support for the action.

White House Rejects Sidelining Claims

• ✅ JD Vance firmly denied the exclusion reports, stating that both he and Tulsi Gabbard were fully briefed and involved in the operation.
• 💬 Vance emphasized that the operation's extreme secrecy reflected strong coordination within President Donald Trump's team.

Evidence Fueling Speculation

• 📸 Tulsi Gabbard was notably absent from official photographs showing President Trump and senior aides like Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe, and Stephen Miller during the operation.
• ⚠️ It was reportedly joked within the White House that DNI (Director of National Intelligence) stood for "do not invite," and Gabbard shared photos from a Hawaii beach while the operation was underway in Venezuela.

JD Vance's Official Statement

• 🗣️ Vance reiterated that he and Gabbard were part of the same team and aware of the operation, which was kept tight to senior cabinet-level officials.
• 🚀 He affirmed his role is to do whatever the President asks, including chairing meetings on Venezuela's stability and ensuring the new Venezuelan government aligns with US interests.

Underlying Tensions Hinted

• 🧠 The reports suggest that both Tulsi Gabbard and JD Vance may have differing opinions from President Trump on certain aspects of such military operations.