Gabbard defers to Trump when asked if Iran posed "imminent threat"

"Pressed again, she replied, 'the only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president.' 'It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,' Gabbard said, going on to argue that it provides the input with which the president makes decisions on imminent threats."

"Gabbard's contention that only the president can determine whether there is an imminent threat to the U.S. is surprising coming from the head of the intelligence community. While it is the president's decision whether to respond to a threat, the intelligence community frequently provides assessments of the severity of potential threats to the homeland."

"Kent, the first senior Trump administration official to walk away over the war in Iran, claimed in his letter that Trump launched the war under pressure from Israel, despite Iran posing 'no imminent threat' to the U.S. Trumpworld swiftly pushed back, with Taylor Budowich, a Trump adviser and former deputy White House chief of staff, calling Kent a 'crazed egomaniac.'"

The White House asserted that Iran presented an imminent nuclear threat to justify military strikes, yet offered no public documentation supporting this claim. During congressional testimony, intelligence officials were questioned about whether the intelligence community assessed an imminent threat. Officials stated Iran maintained intentions to rebuild nuclear enrichment capabilities but clarified that only the president determines what constitutes an imminent threat. This position drew criticism, as the intelligence community typically provides threat assessments to inform presidential decision-making. A departing Trump administration official claimed the military action resulted from Israeli pressure despite Iran posing no imminent threat, prompting swift pushback from Trump advisers.

Read at Axios