Gabbard Declares End to U.S. ‘Regime Change’ Policy Under Trump Administration

Nov 2, 2025 at 06:31 AM

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Lanka Leader

U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard has said Washington’s long-standing policy of pursuing regime change around the world has come to an end under President Donald Trump. Speaking at the 21st Manama Dialogue on 1st of November, Gabbard acknowledged America’s controversial history of toppling foreign governments but claimed the current administration has shifted toward diplomacy and pragmatic engagement.

“The strategy of regime change drained trillions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, cost countless lives, and created new security threats,” Gabbard said. “President Trump was elected to put an end to this — and from day one, he has demonstrated a very different way to conduct foreign policy, one that is pragmatic and deal-driven.”

She added that Trump’s “America First” policy aims to “build peace through diplomacy,” marking what she described as a departure from Washington’s past interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Ukraine.

Since taking office in early 2025, Trump has repeatedly presented himself as a global peacemaker, often highlighting his role in brokering international agreements and claiming he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. However, critics argue that his administration’s tactics toward Venezuela and Iran mirror earlier regime-change operations.

Caracas recently accused Washington of plotting a coup against President Nicolás Maduro under the guise of an anti-drug campaign, while Trump’s remarks following U.S. airstrikes on Iran — including a Truth Social post suggesting “Why wouldn’t there be a regime change???” — have reignited concerns about the return of old interventionist strategies.

“The old Washington way of thinking — endless regime changes and nation building — has held us back for too long,” Gabbard said. “It was a one-size-fits-all approach that imposed U.S. models on nations we barely understood, leaving us with more enemies than allies.”