Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg indicate that Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard was significantly sidelined from sensitive planning regarding a major Venezuela operation, codenamed 'Operation Absolute Resolve,' aimed at removing President Nicolás Maduro. This alleged exclusion spanned several months of critical discussions within President Donald Trump's national security team. The decision to keep Gabbard, who assumed the DNI role on February 12, 2025, out of the loop was reportedly rooted in concerns about her historical opposition to military intervention abroad. Sources familiar with the matter suggested that President Trump did not share a close working relationship with Gabbard and sought to limit the number of individuals with direct knowledge of the highly secretive Venezuela mission. Furthermore, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly among those senior officials who preferred Gabbard's exclusion from these discussions. The sidelining became a noticeable point of tension within the White House, with some staff reportedly joking that 'DNI' stood for 'Do Not Invite.' However, Vice President J.D. Vance publicly refuted these claims, asserting that both he and DNI Gabbard were fully informed and involved. He explained that the discussions were intentionally confined to a small, senior-level group to maintain operational secrecy, denying any reflection of mistrust or punishment. While Gabbard herself was largely excluded from policy-making discussions, another administration official indicated that her office did contribute valuable intelligence analysis that supported the mission from an analytical perspective. Gabbard initially remained publicly silent about the operation but later praised 'Operation Absolute Resolve' as delivering on Trump's national security commitments. This event highlights ongoing internal dynamics and strategic disagreements within the Trump administration concerning foreign policy and intelligence leadership.