Tulsi Gabbard Under Fresh Pressure as Former Deputy Promotes Iranian Propaganda

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, already facing scrutiny over the resignation of her deputy Joe Kent, is under fresh pressure after the same official spread a false report from Iranian state media claiming America sought to kill its own trapped servicemember.Mr. Kent sent shockwaves across Washington last month when he abruptly resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the war in Iran. He raised fresh eyebrows this weekend after promoting a sinister theory about America’s efforts to retrieve an Air Force crew member shot down over Iran on Friday.The false claims originated in a post by the far-left publication Drop Site, which cited a report from the Iranian state-linked outlet Tasnim News. Drop Site alleged that Washington had “lost hope” of recovering the missing crew member and had resorted to bombing the area where he was last seen in an effort to kill him.Mr. Kent reposted the item Saturday night, writing that he was “praying for the rescue of our downed pilot and the safe return of our Special Operators going in to get him back.”As it turns out, the American military had been conducting a daring rescue operation that extracted the crew member late Saturday with no casualties. President Trump announced the successful mission the following morning.That Mr. Kent — a man who until recently oversaw the nation’s premier counterterrorism agency — would lend credence to a claim from Iranian state-linked media accusing the American military of committing a war crime drew condemnation from commentators on both the left and right.CNN’s Jake Tapper denounced Mr. Kent’s “nonsense” claim on Monday morning, noting that it had “aged rather poorly.” In a separate post, Mr. Tapper called Mr. Kent’s endorsement of the Drop Site report “wild stuff.”Mr. Kent responded to the criticism by urging the public to “Read independent media, Iranian media & US media — always question those cheering on wars & always pray for our troops.”The reply only deepened the outrage. “Joe Kent tells people that they should read Iranian-state media for the truth about the war in Iran,” wrote a politics reporter at the Daily Wire, Ryan Saavedra. “How was this guy the director of the National Counterterrorism Center?” The episode adds to a pattern of unfounded claims Mr. Kent has advanced since breaking with the administration over the Iran war. In his resignation letter, he trafficked in conspiracy theories about Israeli influence over American foreign policy, alleging that the Jewish state and “influential members of the American media” had “deceived” America into invading Iraq.The incident also deepens scrutiny of Ms. Gabbard, who has faced speculation that she may be next on the chopping block after Mr. Trump dismissed two other cabinet members. The Guardian reported Thursday that Mr. Trump had been asking cabinet members in recent weeks whether he should replace her, expressing frustration that she had declined to take a harder stance against Mr. Kent. However, the White House has since dismissed the report as “totally fake news,” insisting that Mr. Trump has “total confidence” in Ms. Gabbard.

Tulsi Gabbard Under Fresh Pressure as Former Deputy Promotes Iranian Propaganda

Tulsi Gabbard Under Fresh Pressure as Former Deputy Promotes Iranian Propaganda

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