The Daily Wire Disputes Explosive Fox News Report About Tulsi Gabbard Amid Trump Admin Tumult

LEFT: Joe Kent (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images) RIGHT: Tulsi Gabbard (Photo by Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto via AP)

The Daily Wire disputed an explosive report from Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard,on Tuesday, leading Hasnie to later clarify herself.

After former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent resigned from his post on Tuesday in a letter citing his objections to the Trump administration’s ongoing military operation in Iran, Hasnie characterized Kent as a “known leaker” and revealed that Gabbard had previously been told to axe him, but neglected to do so.

In a post on X, Hasnie wrote:

A senior administration official tells FOX, Joe Kent was:

-a known leaker and he was cut out of POTUS intelligence briefings months ago.

-the WH told DNI Tulsi Gabbard he should be fired for suspected leaks but she never did.

-he has not been part of any Iran planning discussions or briefings at all.

The Daily Wire’s Mary Margaret Olohan, however, dissented in part.

“NEW: Intelligence official tells @realDailyWire that it’s true that Joe Kent wasn’t part of the planning of the Iran war or briefings on the war,” reported Olohan in her own tweet. “It is not true that DNI’s Tulsi Gabbard was asked by the White House to fire Kent, source says— if she had been asked to do so, she would have fired him.”

The contradiction is notable given the pro-MAGA Daily Wire has shown it is well-sourced inside Trump’s West Wing. The outlet has broken a number of stories on various administration happenings, and Olohan is frequently called on to ask questions at briefings.

Hasnie later clarified herself after receiving information on background from Gabbard’s office.

“It’s true, KENT was not involved in briefings on Iran. However, GABBARD was never asked to fire him, or else she would have. GABBARD has been touch with the WH since KENT’s resignation (today),” noted Hasnie in a follow-up post on X. “Meanwhile – a second senior U.S. Official tells FOX the White House complained to GABBARD about KENT several times before. But they are under the impression that the WH never directly told Gabbard explicitly to fire Kent or she would have.”

Both Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, and Kent, a former Republican congressional candidate, have long held isolationist foreign policy views that stand in stark contrast from the GOP’s more interventionist roots. President Donald Trump rebuked Gabbard last year after she claimed that Iran was not in the process of building a nuclear weapon.

After Kent’s nomination by Trump last year, House Homeland Security Committee ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) stated that  “Someone who has employed a Proud Boy, affiliated with a far-right leader whose rallies led to violence in Portland, and given an interview to a Nazi sympathizer is unfit to lead the nation’s primary organization that processes terrorism and counterterrorism intelligence,” while Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI), observed that “During his two failed campaigns for Congress, we learned that Kent has ties to white nationalists, has called to defund the FBI and ATF, supported January 6th rioters who attacked police officers, sought political support from a Holocaust denier, dog whistles to the racist far-right, and spreads conspiracy theories that undermine democracy.”

Israel featured prominently in Kent’s resignation letter.

Trump called Kent “very weak on security” on Tuesday before declaring, “It’s a good thing that he’s out.”

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