Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, facing heightened scrutiny over the U.S. war in Iran just one day after a top administration official resigned in protest of the conflict.
Joe Kent, who served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center and previously worked as Gabbard's chief of staff, submitted his resignation Tuesday, becoming the first top administration official to leave their role over the Iran conflict. Kent served 20 years in the Army before launching two unsuccessful GOP congressional bids in Washington state.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats and some anti-war activists are amplifying Joe Kent's concerns that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. Critics have pointed to Kent's assertion that the U.S. "started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby" as validation of long-standing progressive arguments about U.S. foreign policy.
Progressive lawmakers have raised questions about the intelligence behind Trump's decision to strike Iran, with some suggesting the administration prioritized Israeli interests over American security. Kent's resignation has drawn attention to divisions within the GOP over the war, with some progressive commentators arguing that Trump's "America First" platform has been abandoned.
The departure of a top intelligence official over the Iran conflict has also renewed calls from Democrats for greater transparency about the administration's case for war. Some progressive activists have referenced Gabbard's own past criticism of Trump's Iran policy during his first term as evidence of potential internal disagreements.
What the Right Is Saying
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) rejected Kent's characterization that Iran did not pose an imminent threat, stating at a press conference that Iran "clearly" posed such a threat. Johnson also rejected the idea that the U.S. is putting foreign interests ahead of its own.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Kent's allegations that Israel influenced the Trump administration "insulting and laughable." She noted that Iran was a threat that every country recognized, and the question was whether nations wanted to do something about it.
Trump himself told reporters at the White House that Iran was a threat and defended his decision to strike. While most of the president's base has supported the war against Iran, some conservative media figures and Republican allies have expressed concerns about the conflict's direction. Senate Republicans have largely rallied behind the administration's position, with key leaders defending the president's authority to determine national security threats.
Gabbard is expected to face questions about whether she agreed with the president's assessment and will be pressed on the intelligence community's stance before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran starting in late February.
What the Numbers Show
The average national cost of diesel fuel reached $5 per gallon, a new high point since the Iran conflict began. According to AAA, diesel prices averaged $3.65 per gallon a month ago but now stand at approximately $5.07. This marks only the second time ever that average diesel prices reached $5 per gallon, with the first being in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated on CNBC that the U.S. economy is "fundamentally sound" and expressed confidence the conflict would not disrupt the U.S. economy significantly, though he acknowledged that prolonged higher energy costs "would hurt consumers."
The SAVE America Act, a voting requirements bill that Trump has called his top legislative priority, narrowly advanced in the Senate on Tuesday with all Democrats and a few Republicans opposed. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted against advancing the measure, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted to begin debate as a courtesy to GOP leadership but has said he does not support the bill.
The Bottom Line
Gabbard's testimony marks her first appearance before Congress since the Iran war began, and her statements could either reinforce or complicate the administration's defense of its military action. The resignation of Joe Kent, a senior intelligence official with direct knowledge of counterterrorism operations, has added to scrutiny of the administration's case for war.
The hearing will also feature FBI Director Kash Patel and CIA Director John Ratcliffe before the Senate, with all three officials set to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Gabbard's carefully worded statement emphasizing that she provides "the best information available" to inform presidential decisions suggests she will defer to the commander-in-chief's authority while facing questions about her own assessments.
What Gabbard says Wednesday could influence how the public and Congress view the Iran conflict, particularly among Republicans who supported Trump's America First platform. The administration has faced criticism from some conservative allies over the war, and any daylight between how Gabbard and other officials discuss the conflict could attract additional attention.
Diesel prices at $5 per gallon represent a tangible economic impact on American consumers and businesses, particularly in shipping, agriculture and food industries. While administration officials have downplayed economic concerns, the energy cost increases provide concrete data for critics to cite as they question the war's sustainability.