As the world watched tensions spike between the U.S. and Iran, sharp-eyed users on social media noticed something unusual—Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, was nowhere to be seen in official photos from the White House Situation Room during the high-stakes meeting where President Donald Trump authorized direct strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Her noticeable absence comes just days after Gabbard publicly said, “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,” a statement that Trump quickly dismissed in front of the press.
“She’s wrong,” Trump said when told Gabbard had made that claim. “My intelligence community is wrong if they have no evidence Iran is pursuing nuclear arms.”
A Missing Face in a Major Moment
On Friday, June 20, Trump confirmed that the U.S. had launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, joining Israel’s military campaign after more than a week of escalating conflict.
Photos released from the Situation Room—where these major decisions were made—showed several top national security and military officials standing around Trump. But Gabbard, a key intelligence figure, was visibly absent.
That kicked off a flood of speculation online.
Social Media Users Start Asking Questions
X (formerly Twitter) users were quick to point out Gabbard’s absence. One person posted a side-by-side image from the Situation Room and wrote, “Was Tulsi Gabbard in the situation room during the strike?”
Others followed up with theories and comments:
-
“Tulsi Gabbard must be an outcast or something.”
-
“Looks like not. Folks in the military often have to follow decisions they don’t agree with… but it’s up to Trump.”
-
“If she wasn’t, that’s not good. Could be a sign she’s on the way out.”
-
“There’s no reason for her to be there if she is openly defying President Trump.”
One user said bluntly, “Trump was pretty mad at her before!” while another wrote, “I think she might be getting replaced soon.”
Some also joked about the whole situation:
“There are no pictures of the cameraman either,” one said. Another joked, “She was making the coffee.”
Could She Have Been There, Just Not Photographed?
Despite the online chatter, some people pointed out a more reasonable explanation: not everyone in the room always ends up in the official photos. There’s a possibility Gabbard was present—just not in the frame.
And that could be true.
Because in the official list of attendees from the meeting, her name is included.
Who Was in the Room? Here’s the Full List
According to internal documentation, the following people were present in the room:
-
President Donald Trump
-
Vice President JD Vance
-
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
-
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine
-
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
-
CIA Director John Ratcliffe
-
National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
-
Deputy Chiefs of Staff Dan Scavino and James Blair
-
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
-
NSC official Andy Baker
-
White House Counsel David Warrington
-
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
So technically, Gabbard was supposed to be in the room—or at least on the team looped into the decision-making process. Her absence in the photos might not mean she wasn’t part of the conversation.
Is There Tension Between Gabbard and Trump?
Still, her recent public remarks don’t exactly match Trump’s stance on Iran—and that’s raised eyebrows.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate, has long been known for her more cautious views on military intervention. Her claim that Iran isn’t building nuclear weapons directly contradicts what Trump and his administration have been arguing for weeks.
And now that the U.S. has joined Israel in striking key nuclear sites—including the heavily fortified Fordow facility—the differences between Trump and his intelligence chief are getting harder to ignore.
It’s too soon to say if Gabbard’s role is in danger. So far, no official statement has been made by the White House or Gabbard herself about her absence in the photos or the apparent disagreement with the president.
