Image Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images 
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and other intel officials were grilled during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Wednesday, fending off questions on the Iran war during an annual threat assessment update.
Joining FBI Director Kash Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and other national security officials, Gabbard remarked that the Intelligence Community (IC) assessed Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan as nuclear threats, saying, “North Korea’s ICBM can already reach U.S. soil.”
Tulsi Gabbard testifies that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan are developing new nuclear-equipped missiles that put the United States at direct risk.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) March 18, 2026
She warns that China and Russia will eventually have missiles that can bypass U.S. missile defense systems.
“North… pic.twitter.com/Y2dwEpyDYG
Gabbard also said the IC assessed “that if a hostile regime [in Iran] survives, it would likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military missiles and UAV forces.”
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Iran:
— HatsOff (@HatsOffff) March 18, 2026
"If a hostile regime in Iran survives, it will likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military, missiles and UAV forces." pic.twitter.com/gRuKdhcGp8
The DNI also said the IC assessed China was the US’s “most capable” AI competitor.
Tulsi Gabbard: "The IC assesses that China is the most capable competitor in the field of artificial intelligence…It will be critical to ensure that humans remain in control of how AI is use."
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 18, 2026
pic.twitter.com/QfyDLoIATS
Gabbard told Sen. Joe Ossoff (D-Ga.) the sole authority to identify an imminent threat lied with the president.
Tulsi Gabbard on Iran: "The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president."
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) March 18, 2026
Sen. Ossoff: "No, it is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the United States." pic.twitter.com/yRGAfximjD
Asked whether Trump had suggested that his Iran War gambit could close the Strait of Hormuz, or whether she had advised as much, Gabbard didn’t take the bait.
Warner: The president continues said he was shocked that the Iranians had moved to take over the strait of hormuz.
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 18, 2026
Gabbard: I'm not aware of those remarks
Warner: What about the comments the president made that he was surprised that Iran struck the adjacent gulf states.… pic.twitter.com/HgPIXCUoEg
Gabbard admitted the Ayatollah’s killing was being used by Iranians “as a call to action,” saying “the effects of that from an intelligence standpoint remain to be seen.”
Tulsi Gabbard admits under oath that the killing of the Ayatollah in Iran could now create major blowback for the United States.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) March 18, 2026
She says his death is motivating Iranians to fight back even harder, and the consequences are still unknown.
“The Iranians are certainly using that… pic.twitter.com/SEo5tiRz4X
DNI Gabbard also confirmed she was in Fulton County, Georgia, “at the behest of the president” to witness a raid on an election center and observe FBI activity earlier this year.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Democrat Sen. Mark Warner just PANICKED that DNI Tulsi Gabbard was on-scene when the FBI seized Fulton County, Georgia 2020 ballots for potential election fraud
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 18, 2026
"I was at Fulton at the request of the president to observe this action that had LONG been awaited."… pic.twitter.com/zHEiARBvBO
The tough questioning came as Gabbard’s subordinate former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent quit yesterday, penning an open letter undermining the president’s reasons for launching the war.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
Following the messy exit, Gabbard was put in the awkward position of defending Iran’s assessment as an imminent threat, while a top intel official just claimed no threat exists.
Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to be our President and Commander in Chief. As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the…
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) March 17, 2026
Asked whether Gabbard’s job was in jeopardy following Kent’s resignation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded, “Not to my knowledge.”
Q: Is Tulsi Gabbard's job in jeopardy right now given the Joe Kent situation?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2026
LEAVITT: Not to my knowledge. Obviously that's a question for the president, but I haven't heard him say that at all pic.twitter.com/onVgMhsO2s
FBI Director Patel testified the agency working with law enforcement agencies had worked to seize “enough fentanyl in 2025 to kill 178 MILLION AMERICANS.”
🚨 WOW! FBI Director Kash Patel just announced a jaw-dropping victory in the war against fentanyl
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 18, 2026
"We seized enough fentanyl in 2025 to kill 178 MILLION AMERICANS."
"Opioid overdose deaths from last year DROPPED -20 POINTS."
"We can't do that unless we have great police… pic.twitter.com/oRNpsRz0Xw
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Patel if Jeffrey Epstein was an intelligence asset:
Sen. Grassley (R-IA): "Was Jeffrey Epstein an intelligence asset for the U.S. government or a foreign government?"
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) March 18, 2026
Kash Patel: "I can only speak to the FBI…Mr. Epstein was not a source for the FBI."pic.twitter.com/FEqu6NRl9z
Kash also testified the shutdown and suspension of DHS funding was making Americans less safe.
Sen. John Cornyn: "Is the refusal to fund the functions of the Department of Homeland Security, including homeland security investigations, making Americans less safe?"
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 18, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel: "Absolutely."
pic.twitter.com/RydAyPqeLW
However, he would not commit to stopping the agency’s practice of purchasing Americans’ location data.
Sen. Wyden: Can you commit to not buying Americans' location data?
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 18, 2026
Kash Patel: The FBI uses all tools to do our mission pic.twitter.com/mDfEqXVKL3
CIA Director Ratcliffe tried to straighten out the timeline of how and when the president was given an intel community assessment of the issue with the Strait of Hormuz:
King: The president says nobody knew. My question is did you tell him?
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 18, 2026
Ratcliffe: The president gets briefings constantly about intelligence. The comments you talked about, I had not heard.
Gabbard: Because of that longstanding assessment that the IC has continued to report… pic.twitter.com/AGcI9kweoY
Ratcliffe also disagreed with Joe Kent’s claims that Iran posed no threat:
CIA Director John Ratcliffe disagrees with Joe Kent who argued Iran posed no imminent threat on the United States in his resignation letter as head of the national counterterrorism center:
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) March 18, 2026
"Intelligence reflects the contrary."pic.twitter.com/vMOGcs4EiS
Watch the full hearing below:
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