A 2019 Gabbard tweet calling a potential Iran war “very stupid and costly” resurfaced, and her current stance is a total reversal

A 2019 tweet from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has resurfaced, showing a sharp contrast with her current position as the U.S. is now actively at war with Iran. The old post, which strongly opposed military action against Iran, is circulating on X and drawing significant attention.

Back in 2019, while campaigning for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Gabbard was openly against any U.S. military involvement in Iran. She posted on X, then called Twitter: “Trump promised to get the US out of ‘stupid wars.’ But now he and John Bolton are on the brink of launching us into a very stupid and costly war with Iran. Join me in sending a strong message to President Trump: The US must NOT go to war with Iran. #TULSI2020.”

According to Huffpost, the tweet also came with a campaign video, in which Gabbard criticized Trump for listening to “his national security adviser, John Bolton, and other war hawks in his administration, who have championed the war with Iraq in the past, and have been pushing for a war with Iran for years.”

Gabbard’s past anti-war position stands in direct contrast to her silence during the current Iran conflict

With the U.S. now at war with Iran, and Gabbard serving as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, her past anti-war statements are drawing renewed scrutiny. She had largely stayed quiet about the war since it began, but that changed after a notable resignation. Gabbard is not the only Republican figure facing heat over the conflict, as Greene warning about risks for Vance and Gabbard has also stirred debate within the party.

Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, recently stepped down because he opposed President Trump’s decision to attack Iran. Following Kent’s resignation, Gabbard posted something publicly, which prompted others to reshare her old 2019 tweet.

Users on X were quick to point out the reversal. Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch, was among the first to repost Gabbard’s 2019 tweet, directly calling her out on the platform. The contrast is significant, someone who once publicly urged a president not to go to war with Iran is now a top national security official in an administration that launched exactly that war. 

Opposition to the war has also come from outside the White House, with Senator Kelly’s criticism of Trump’s Iran strategy adding to the growing chorus of concern in Congress. Gabbard’s office has not responded to requests for comment on the matter.