US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, warned of a " nuclear holocaust " as she criticized those she called " warmongers " for bringing the world " closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before " in a video posted on social media on Tuesday.
In the three-minute video, Gabbard details a recent visit to Hiroshima, Japan, to learn more about the aftermath of the U.S. nuclear attack on the city in 1945 during World War II. The video features footage of Gabbard's trip and archival footage showing victims, interspersed with Gabbard speaking directly to the camera about the aftermath of a nuclear attack.
Gabbard then warns that, because today's nuclear weapons are more powerful than those used by the US in 1945, " a single nuclear weapon today could kill millions of people in just a few minutes ."
" This is the reality of what is at stake, what we are facing right now ," Gabbard says in the video. " Because as we stand here today, closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before, the warmongers of the political elite are recklessly fueling fear and tension between nuclear powers. " Gabbard goes on to suggest that powerful people are assured of access to " nuclear shelters " and therefore will not be affected by any consequences.
" It is up to us, the people, to speak out and demand an end to this madness. We must reject this path to nuclear war and work towards a world where no one has to live in fear of a nuclear holocaust ," she continues.
It is not clear when the video was taken, but Gabbard traveled to Japan last week, where she visited a U.S. military base with U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass. Gabbard did not visit Hiroshima during her first trip to Japan as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in March, according to a statement from her office.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to requests for clarification about the video, including whether it was made with government sources.
Gabbard's comments come as the Trump administration continues negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal. Trump told reporters on Monday that Iran rejected a U.S. proposal that would have stopped the nation from enriching uranium - fuel that can be used to build nuclear weapons.
The former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate has a long history of criticizing war opponents and warning of nuclear war before endorsing then-candidate Donald Trump for president and switching parties last year. During the launch of her 2019 presidential campaign, she warned that the world is "on the brink of nuclear war" and was a strong advocate for strengthening nuclear treaties while in Congress.
“Warlords are trying to drag us into World War III, which can only end in one way: nuclear annihilation and the suffering and death of all our loved ones,” Gabbard wrote in a post on X in 2023. “Zelensky, Biden, NATO, the neocons in Congress and the media are crazy. And we are crazy if we passively allow them to lead us into this holocaust like sheep to the slaughter.”
Gabbard has been criticized on social media for the message of her video, accusing her of spreading "Kremlin propaganda."
DNI Tulsi Gabbard repeats Putin's talking points today, releasing an unhinged video where she claims that "political elites" want a nuclear war with Russia because they have sophisticated bomb shelters that will help them survive it. pic.twitter.com/fKhaCL0WDG
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 10, 2025