白宫据称在数月筹划“捕获/推翻”委内瑞拉总统尼古拉斯·马杜罗的行动中，将国家情报总监图尔西·加巴德排除在关键会议之外，原因是她过去反对对委动武、主张“美国应置身事外”，令团队怀疑她是否会支持行动。知情者称这种“DNI=Do Not Invite（不要邀请）”的调侃在内部流传；白宫官员否认有此玩笑。

副总统JD·万斯称“他或加巴德被排除在规划外”的说法不实；白宫称特朗普对加巴德“完全有信心”。一名资深情报官员表示，加巴德仍提供了情报支持，但更偏分析而非作战规划。白宫在2026年1月3日发布“Operation Absolute Resolve”相关内容；而加巴德在行动后数日才于周二发帖称赞行动“无瑕执行”，其个人账号在2026年1月1日则发布海滩照片。

多名前官员认为DNI缺席此类行动规划“很不寻常”，因为DNI是总统首席情报顾问并统管美国18个情报机构（该职位在9·11后设立以加强协调）。白宫公布的“战情室”照片中出现鲁比奥、赫格塞斯、拉特克利夫、米勒等人但没有加巴德；《华盛顿邮报》亦称她在规划与执行中角色有限。文章并指出该职位长期受质疑、团队内部对其存在分歧；加巴德（44岁、伊拉克战争老兵、陆军预备役军官）近年更强调解密肯尼迪遇刺、俄罗斯干预等议题，并延续其自2019年以来反对“政权更迭/国家建构”的立场（她曾参选2020年总统）。

The White House allegedly kept Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard out of months of planning for an operation targeting Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, citing doubts tied to her past opposition to U.S. military action there. Sources said staff even joked DNI meant “Do Not Invite,” a claim a White House official denied.

Vice President JD Vance called false reports that he or Gabbard were excluded, and the White House said Trump has full confidence in her. A senior intelligence official said Gabbard did contribute intelligence, but in a more analytical role than operational planning; she publicly praised the mission’s “flawless execution” only after several days, while the White House promoted “Operation Absolute Resolve” on January 3, 2026.

Former officials said it’s highly unusual for a DNI—Trump’s principal intelligence adviser overseeing 18 U.S. intelligence agencies (a post created after 9/11)—to be absent from such planning, and photos of the real-time “war room” did not show Gabbard. The Washington Post reported she had little role, underscoring longer-running tensions and skepticism about the DNI job itself. The story also highlights Gabbard’s profile and record: 44 years old, an Iraq War veteran and Army Reserve officer, who has repeatedly criticized regime-change wars (with notable statements dating to 2019) and reoriented the office toward politically salient declassifications.