Tulsi Gabbard’s Surprise 2026 Election Bid Sends Shockwaves Through Washington

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was quietly frozen out of months-long White House planning to topple Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to multiple insiders. The exclusion, first detailed by Bloomberg, stemmed from officials’ fears that Gabbard’s well-known anti-intervention stance could obstruct the operation’s hawkish path. Why it matters: • Gabbard is the nation’s top intelligence officer, yet her absence from key briefings left the U.S. intelligence community sidelined on one of the most consequential covert missions in years. • Her removal underscores growing fissures inside the Trump national-security team over how far Washington should push regime-change campaigns. • With Congress set to debate new War Powers limits after the surprise raid, Gabbard’s marginalization could become a flashpoint for lawmakers wary of unchecked executive action. Background: Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and 2020 presidential contender, built her political brand on opposing “regime-change wars.” That record reportedly convinced senior aides that she might leak or resist the Maduro plan. Some staffers even joked that “DNI” now stood for “Do Not Invite,” insiders told Bloomberg. The Washington Post separately confirmed that she was missing from public briefings and televised victory laps that followed Maduro’s capture, marking a stark contrast to her usual media presence. What’s next: 1. Hill hearings: Bipartisan lawmakers have summoned Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien to explain intelligence gaps and decision-making secrecy. 2. Policy split: Hard-liners argue the Maduro success justifies bypassing dissenting voices, while restraint advocates warn it sets a dangerous precedent for future crises. 3. 2028 politics: Gabbard’s allies say the episode bolsters her image as an independent skeptic of foreign entanglements, potentially reviving speculation about another presidential bid. Search-friendly takeaways: Tulsi Gabbard sidelined, White House Venezuela coup planning, U.S. spy chief excluded, Maduro raid intelligence rift, anti-war stance backlash.