The Source with Kaitlan Collins Sources: Kent Met With Vance & Gabbard Day Before Resigning
Mar 18, 2026
Patrick Oppmann, CNN correspondent in Havana, reports on Cuba’s rolling blackouts and humanitarian strain. Andy Kim, U.S. senator and former counterterrorism official, debates intelligence and the administration’s Iran decision. Don Bacon, veteran lawmaker and Armed Services member, offers a national security perspective on Joe Kent’s resignation and its political fallout.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Intelligence Claim At The Center Of The Dispute
- Kent explicitly denied an imminent threat, directly contradicting the administration's justification for the war.
- That public repudiation forces scrutiny of the intelligence underpinning the president's decision.
Tulsi Gabbard Takes Cautious Public Stance
- Tulsi Gabbard issued a narrowly worded, legalistic statement that avoided endorsing the war or Kent's intelligence claims.
- Gabbard faces pressure as she'll testify on Capitol Hill about intelligence and her role.
GOP Lawmaker Flags Anti Semitic Language Concern
- Don Bacon criticized Kent's letter for blaming the Israeli lobby, calling that an anti-Semitic trope.
- Bacon stressed Republicans must reject narratives that blame a hidden Jewish cabal for U.S. policy decisions.