BRAZIL PERSPECTIVE

Brasília, May 22, 2026. Tulsi Gabbard's resignation as US National Intelligence Director has not convinced Brazilian press. While Folha de S.Paulo and G1 Globo relay the official version — Abraham Gabbard's husband has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer —, both titles immediately signal what they consider the hidden face of the affair: according to a source cited by Reuters, the White House would have forced Gabbard to leave her post.

G1 is explicit: "The White House forced Tulsi Gabbard's departure." Folha goes in the same direction, noting that the resignation occurs "after wear and tear and divergences" between the director and President Trump on sensitive files. This editorial choice — highlighting political tension before the family argument — reflects a consistent Brazilian framing: loyalty within the Trump apparatus takes precedence over any personal explanation.

Documented frictions date back to March. Gabbard had then taken a public stance against Trump's triumphant reading of the war against Iran, stating that the Tehran regime, despite US and Israeli coordinated strikes, "seemed still intact" and retained the ability to hit American interests in the Middle East. Trump had several times proclaimed that Iran was defeated and its military capabilities destroyed. In March, Trump also called her "softer" than him on the Iranian nuclear dossier — a public criticism that, in the context of the administration, amounts to symbolic sidelining.

Brazilian press recalls Gabbard's atypical profile: former Democratic congressman, veteran of the Iraq War (2004-2005), unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2020, known for her criticism of US military interventions — particularly in Ukraine. She had migrated to independence in 2022, joined the Republicans in 2024, before being chosen by Trump in November 2024 to oversee the 18 agencies of the intelligence community, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI.

In this portrait, G1 highlights her ideological trajectory as a factor of explanation: an old critic of military interventions placed at the head of intelligence, in an administration engaged in a conflict with Iran, constituted a politically unstable equation. Folha notes, in addition, that Gabbard was considered, both within the government and in Congress, as a "peripheral" member of the defense and national security team, according to the New York Times.