Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is facing a media firestorm over her March testimony on Iran’s nuclear ambitions—but according to Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, this controversy isn’t the result of a misstep. It’s a deep-state setup designed to undermine one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal and effective national security voices.

In an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Flynn—the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and President Trump’s first-term national security adviser—warned that Obama- and Biden-era loyalists still buried within the intelligence bureaucracy may have deliberately sabotaged Gabbard just weeks into her new role.

“That was a setup,” Flynn said bluntly. “She’s only a couple of weeks into the job. She’s taken what the intel, the smartest people in our intelligence community, say about something, and she presents it… Most of those people were put in by Obama, and then they were strengthened by the Biden administration.”

The controversy stems from Gabbard’s March 25 testimony before the Senate, in which she stated:

“The (intelligence community) continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.”

Legacy media seized on that statement to paint Gabbard as dangerously naïve or soft on Iran. But they conveniently ignored the crucial caveats she included:

“Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.”

“Iran will likely continue efforts to counter Israel and press for U.S. military withdrawal from the region by aiding, arming and helping to reconstitute its loose consortium of like-minded terrorist actors.”

Far from letting Iran off the hook, Gabbard warned of escalating regional threats and terrorist support, consistent with the Trump administration’s hardline stance.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gabbard slammed the media for spreading what she called “fake news.”

“The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division,” she wrote.

“America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can’t happen, and I agree.”

Her post included the full video of her testimony—a direct counter to the cherry-picked narrative being pushed by left-wing media outlets.

President Donald J. Trump himself addressed the situation on Friday, acknowledging disagreement with the intelligence community’s conclusion but not shying away from holding them accountable:

“She’s wrong. My intelligence community is wrong,” Trump told reporters, doubling down on his long-standing distrust of the D.C. intelligence establishment.

That statement reflects Trump’s well-documented skepticism toward deep-state actors who, for years, have attempted to undermine his America First agenda.

While corporate media is eager to sow discord, Vice President JD Vance made it clear Gabbard remains a trusted and indispensable member of the Trump administration.

“DNI Gabbard is a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of President Trump and a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024,” Vance told Fox News Digital.

“She is an essential member of our team, and we’re grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats.”

Flynn echoed the sentiment, praising her courage and effectiveness in an intelligence community still riddled with ideological enemies of the president.

Tulsi Gabbard is under attack not because she failed, but because she represents a threat to the deep-rooted bureaucracy that has long operated without accountability. This controversy isn’t about national security — it’s about preserving power.

As President Trump continues to drain the swamp in his second term, expect more smear campaigns and sabotage aimed at bold, independent thinkers like Gabbard who refuse to toe the establishment line.