FACT CHECK: Did Tulsi Gabbard Say Trump And Putin Were Good Friends?

A post shared on X claims Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were good friends.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaking on Trump and Putin in a new interview with India’s NDTV:

“We have 2 leaders of 2 great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and shared interests”

🇺🇸🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/XJdCQ0vvTi

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 18, 2025

Verdict: False

Gabbard was talking about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump, not Putin. Outlets such as the Associated Press corrected their reporting.

Fact Check:

Social media users are claiming that Gabbard said in an interview that Trump and Putin are “very good friends.” One user wrote, “U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaking on Trump and Putin in a new interview with India’s NDTV: ‘We have 2 leaders of 2 great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and shared interests.’”

This claim is false. Gabbard was talking about Modi being friends with Trump, not Putin. She made these remarks during an interview with NDTV.

While some outlets reported that she was talking about Trump and Putin, others corrected it. For example, the Associated Press withdrew their story.

“The Associated Press has withdrawn its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘are very good friends.’ Gabbard was talking about Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The AP will publish a corrected version of the story,” reads the AP’s withdrawal notice.

Alexa Henning, the deputy chief of staff for Gabbard, called out the incorrect reporting via a post on X.

I emailed @AP and @DavidKlepper and have so far heard nothing regarding their literal fake news article about the DNI.

Won’t hold my breath. https://t.co/ZBK2mcakBG

— Alexa Henning (@DNIspox) March 18, 2025

“I emailed @AP and @DavidKlepper and have so far heard nothing regarding their literal fake news article about the DNI. Won’t hold my breath,” the post reads.