The Associated Press (AP) pulled a story Tuesday. It falsely claimed U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard called President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin “very good friends.”
The AP retracted the piece titled, “Gabbard Says Trump And Putin Are ‘Very Good Friends’ Focused On Strengthening Ties.” It later published a correction. Gabbard had actually been talking about Trump’s friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“This story was updated on Mar. 17, 2025,” the AP wrote. The editor’s note clarified Gabbard never said Trump and Putin were “very good friends.” The original claim was deleted.
An AP spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation why they removed it. “It did not meet [their] standards,” they said.
After pulling the false report, the AP released a corrected version. In it, Gabbard told NDTV that Trump is “looking forward to success” in his upcoming call with Putin. That call was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
She also spoke about Trump’s approach to Russia. “Under the previous administration, during which this war began, there was no effort, there was no effort at all towards peace,” Gabbard told NDTV. “So already in a very short period of time, President Trump has made much more progress towards peace than any effort that has occurred by anyone, previously.”
The AP’s updated piece included Gabbard’s correct statement. “With President Trump’s leadership in the United States, of course Prime Minister Modi’s longstanding leadership here in India, we have two leaders of our two great countries who are very good friends,” she said. She emphasized their shared objectives and interests.
Gabbard’s spokesperson, Alexa Henning, wasn’t happy. She contacted the AP and reporter David Klepper, demanding a correction. On X, she called the AP and legacy media “maliciously incompetent and purposefully bias[ed].”
“The AP is total trash,” Henning posted. “DNI @TulsiGabbard was referring to PM Modi & President Trump and this is the headline they publish. This is why no one trusts the maliciously incompetent and purposefully bias media.” She called it a clear attempt to push a political narrative.
Trump, meanwhile, announced in February that Russia-Ukraine war negotiations were underway. After a call with Putin, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. Both the U.S. and Ukraine now await Russia’s response.