Tulsi Gabbard Warns of Nuclear War (with Clips from My Film)

Trying to make sense of it.

Greg Mitchell is the author of more than a dozen books and now writer/director of three award-winning films aired via PBS, including “Atomic Cover-up” and “Memorial Day Massacre.” Now watch trailer for acclaimed 2025 film “The Atomic Bowl” coming to PBS in July. Before all that, he was a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy. You can still subscribe to this newsletter for FREE. Sustain this newsletter by ordering one of his books.

I will return tomorrow with my “regular” posting but: I was amazed—shocked, really—tonight when a longtime friend and nuclear weapons expert tipped me off that early this morning Tulsi Gabbard, the Trump-appointed Director of National Intelligence, posted a three-minute video on Twitter and YouTube that used two clips, about 18 seconds total, from my recent PBS film, “Atomic Cover-up.” She credits those scenes, of badly injured victims of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki atomic bombing, as from “Documentary Atomic Cover-up.”

This very slick video came out of nowhere, and that wasn’t just my reaction. I’ve collected a few responses across the political spectrum below.

Of course, I have spent decades trying to draw attention to the atomic bombings (in three books and two award-winning films) but, as no fan of Gabbard going back many years—and aware of her views on Russia/Putin—this makes me uncomfortable, as you can imagine. Here it is.

She opens by reporting that she had recently visited Hiroshima and was deeply moved by the experience and stories about the tragedy she heard there. Footage of bombs going off and suffering survivors (mainly from my film) then appear. One wonders why now and where this is heading, but we get a hint—some would say an answer—when she warns that we are “closer to the brink of nuclear war” than ever, and that “political elites and warmongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers”—perhaps because they know they have “access to nuclear shelters” that regular people do not.

So we all have to “reject this path” and “work toward a world where no one has to live in fear of a nuclear holocaust.”

So what to make of this? Many feel she is simply echoing Kremlin views or urging the U.S. to abandon Ukraine to reduce the threat of a nuclear confrontation with Putin. But isn’t her boss Trump one of those “political elites” with special access to nuclear bunkers, even if she believes he does not foment fear and tension?

From Politico:

When asked to clarify Gabbard’s comments in the video, Gabbard’s deputy chief of staff Alexa Henning said her concern about nuclear war is shared by President Donald Trump.

“President Trump has repeatedly stated in the past that he recognizes the immeasurable suffering, and annihilation can be caused by nuclear war, which is why he has been unequivocal that we all need to do everything possible to work towards peace,” Henning said in a statement. “DNI Gabbard supports President Trump’s clearly stated objectives of bringing about lasting peace and stability and preventing war.”

You can watch “Atomic Cover-up” via PBS.org in its “short” (27 minute) version.

While I sort this out, a few responses from others:

Video response from The Bulwark’s Sam Stein and Tim Miller on the “dark” and “weird” and “creepy” and “Cold War era scare video” that seems like “Russian propaganda.”

Ian Bremmer, well-known political scientist and author: “Warmongers bringing the world ‘closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before’— ominous, but true. Political elites fomenting tension bc they have their own bomb shelters ready? Not too sure about that one.”

Ron Filipkowski from Meidas Touch: “DNI Tulsi Gabbard repeats Putin’s talking points today, releasing an unhinged video.”

Josh Krashauer of Fox News Radio: "DNI Tulsi Gabbard draws friendly fire from Republicans for video warning of nuclear war."

GOP Sen. John Kennedy: ‘She obviously needs to change her meds."