IC Oversight & Authorities — 2026-04-11
Trump Nearly Fired DNI Gabbard Over Iran War Testimony Until Roger Stone Intervened
Trump was prepared to dismiss DNI Gabbard after she did not fully endorse the Iran war during congressional testimony, two sources told Axios. The crisis escalated when Gabbard's counterterrorism director
Analysis
The near-firing of the DNI over policy disagreement, not performance, would have marked the third IC leadership disruption in two years. That the decision turned on political calculations about 2028 primaries rather than intelligence equities illustrates the politicization risk to IC independence. Kent's resignation as counterterrorism director and his claim that Trump was duped into the Iran operation represents a rare public break by a serving IC official during active conflict.
The near-firing of the DNI over policy disagreement, not performance, would have marked the third IC leadership disruption in two years. That the decision turned on political calculations about 2028 primaries rather than intelligence equities illustrates the politicization risk to IC independence. Kent's resignation as counterterrorism director and his claim that Trump was duped into the Iran operation represents a rare public break by a serving IC official during active conflict.