Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, has issued a stern warning regarding the threat of nuclear war. This message, disseminated via a video posted to her personal social media account, presents a stark variation from the previous remarks made by President Donald Trump on the same issue.
Reports indicate that Gabbard, having recently visited Hiroshima, Japan, reflected on the devastation and “haunting sadness” brought about by the atomic bomb dropped during World War II. In her video, she cautioned that political elites and warmongers are creating fear and strain, edging us closer to “the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.”
Gabbard’s video includes footage from her visit to several landmarks in Hiroshima. Importantly, the video also depicts a simulation of a nuclear attack on San Francisco, California, purportedly showing the destruction of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
Gabbard’s commentary bears similarities to previous statements she made during her campaign trail. However, this video was posted days after she attended the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major Asian conference held in Singapore, earlier this month.
The significance becomes clear when we consider her words in the video. “Perhaps it’s because they are confident that they will have access to nuclear shelters for themselves and their families that regular people won’t have access to,” Gabbard said. She called on people to “speak up and demand an end to this madness.”
This development follows earlier reports that Gabbard’s position contrasts sharply with Trump’s past remarks on the use of nuclear weapons during World War II. In 2016, Trump criticized then-President Barack Obama for visiting Hiroshima, labelling him “pathetic.” More recently, in 2024, Trump revisited the subject of Hiroshima to underline a point about presidential immunity.
According to Alexa Henning, Gabbard’s deputy chief of staff, both Gabbard and the president share a common vision for peace and the prevention of war. “Acknowledging the past is critical to inform the future. President Trump recognizes the immeasurable suffering and annihilation that can be caused by nuclear war,” Henning said in a statement.
Turning now to the broader implications, Gabbard’s warning about the nuclear threat reiterates her consistent skepticism of the Washington establishment. Her initial bid for president in 2020 was sparked by a mistaken ballistic missile alert in Hawaii, driving her to focus substantially on ending wars and seeking peace. This recent development suggests that Gabbard continues to stake out an independent position on America’s global posture, despite her current alignment with the Republican Party and the Trump administration.
