President Donald Trump was reportedly close to firing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard after becoming frustrated with her over her position on the Iran conflict, but longtime adviser Roger Stone intervened and convinced him not to fire her, according to a new report.
According to Axios, Trump's frustration with Gabbard had been building quietly for weeks, driven largely by disagreements tied to the administration's handling of Iran. Sources told the outlet that Trump questioned whether Gabbard was fully aligned with his messaging at a critical moment, especially as the White House worked to justify its posture and intelligence assessments publicly.
The outlet added that Stone gave Trump several reasons to keep her, including the argument that she remained loyal, did not plan to resign, and would likely become the center of a media firestorm if pushed out.
The report was published following accounts that Gabbard's standing inside the administration had weakened. The Guardian reported on April 2 that Trump had privately asked advisers whether he should replace Gabbard after becoming angry over her handling of disagreements tied to Iran and her defense of former deputy Joe Kent, who resigned after clashing with the administration's message on the threat posed by Tehran.
Axios said Trump was also frustrated over Kent's exit creating unwanted headlines for the White House. Trump reportedly "scolded" Gabbard in a private meeting after Kent's resignation.
In posts highlighted by follow-up coverage, Stone seemingly confirmed the reports, stating that he acted after what he described as false claims that Gabbard was about to resign and should be fired preemptively. He wrote on social media that "Last Monday [Laura] Loomer tried to convince the President that Tulsi Gabbard was about to resign- in an effort to get Trump to move preemptively to fire her. The whole thing was a hoax. Fortunately, I acted in time. When I called Loomer out on her lie is when she became unhinged."
Last Monday Loomer tried to convince the President that Tulsi Gabbard was about to resign- in an effort to get Trump to move preemptively to fire her. The whole thing was a hoax. Fortunately, I acted in time. When I called Loomer out on her lie is when she became unhinged pic.twitter.com/Qbg2GpI6C2
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) April 9, 2026
A former Democratic congresswoman and one-time presidential candidate, she entered the administration with a foreign policy profile that did not always line up neatly with the president's more hawkish advisers. Her skepticism of intervention overseas helped define her national image, and that history appears to have collided with the administration's internal tensions over Iran.
Neither the White House nor Gabbard had publicly issued a detailed response to the Axios account at the time of publication in the search results reviewed. Gabbard remains in her role as director of national intelligence.
