President Donald Trump raised eyebrows this week after telling reporters he didn't "care" Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Congress that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.

While some have suggested that Trump is turning on Gabbard, Vice President J.D. Vance has pushed back against that narrative. 

Vance calls Gabbard "an essential member of our team"

According to Fox News, Vance defended the director of national intelligence in a statement he provided to the network on Wednesday.

"DNI Gabbard is a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of President Trump and a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024," Vance was quoted as saying.

"She is an essential member of our team, and we’re grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats," the vice president insisted.

Politico story on conflict between Trump and Gabbard dismissed as "clickbait"

"Just because Iran is not building a nuclear weapon right now doesn't mean they aren't ‘very close’ as President Trump said on Air Force One," it read.

Fox News also cited an unnamed White House staff member who provided a similar message regarding unity between the president and his Cabinet member.

What's more, Gabbard's chief of staff put up a social media post which slammed a recent claim by Politico that Trump is angry with the director of national intelligence.

This is total clickbait. @VP: Tulsi is a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of Pres Trump & a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024. She’s an essential member of our nat sec team, & we’re grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats. https://t.co/4fMHProanl

— Alexa Henning (@alexahenning) June 18, 2025

"This is total clickbait," Alexa Henning said of the article. "Tulsi is a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of Pres Trump & a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024."

Trump holds off on joining Israel in striking Iran

"She’s an essential member of our [national security team], [and] we’re grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats," Henning asserted.

For his part, Trump revealed on Thursday that the United States will hold off on joining Israel in launching air strikes against Iran.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt quoted the president as saying, "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks."