US Spy Chief Gabbard Excluded From Maduro Plan Over Past Views
FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe during a Senate Committee on Intelligence Hearing in Washington on March 25.
Photographer: Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesThe White House excluded Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard from months of planning to oust Nicolas Maduro because her previous opposition to military action in Venezuela cast doubt on her willingness to support the operation, people familiar with the matter said.
The move to cut Gabbard out of the meetings was so well-known that some White House aides joked that the acronym of her title, DNI, stood for “Do Not Invite,” according to three of the people. They asked not to be identified discussing private conversations. A White House official denied there was any such joke.