The Divergence of Narratives Between the Palace and Gibran on Resignation and 'Fight Back': What Political Message Is There?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Conflicting statements between the Palace and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka regarding his diploma controversy raise questions about the political communication being constructed.

On one hand, the Palace revealed that Gibran had expressed his intention to resign to President Prabowo Subianto.

However, Gibran publicly stated that Prabowo advised him to continue fighting to prove the validity of his educational documents through legal channels.

This narrative difference surfaced after Gibran and Prabowo's meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (10/11/2026).

So, what political message lies behind the differing narratives of the Palace and Gibran? How should political communication from both the Palace and Gibran be conveyed to the public amid this controversy?

Which One is Trustworthy?

Communications political analyst from Esa Unggul University, M Jamiluddin Ritonga, believes that the differing statements regarding Gibran's intention to resign and his efforts to "fight" could lead to misunderstandings among the public.

According to him, the public is faced with two conflicting pieces of information regarding the outcome of Gibran and Prabowo's meeting.

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi stated that Gibran had expressed his intention to resign, while Gibran emphasized Prabowo's directive for him to fight the diploma issue legally.

"The two conflicting statements over Gibran’s intention to resign can certainly lead to public misperceptions. This puts the onus back on the public to decide which statement is trustworthy," Jamiluddin told Kompas.com on Wednesday (11/11/2026).

Jamiluddin posits that Prasetyo’s statement, later reinforced by the Head of Government Communication Agency (Bakom) Syahganda Nainggolan, indicates that discussions about the intention to resign did indeed occur.

However, Gibran might view the statement as a private conversation with the President, choosing not to relay it to the public.

"That's why Gibran did not disclose this to the press. Instead, he emphasized Prabowo's advice to 'fight back' regarding his diploma in court," Jamiluddin explained.

On the other hand, Gibran's claim about being advised to fight legally has also been denied by Syahganda.

This situation has further added to the public's confusion in understanding the actual message each party wishes to convey.

Jamiluddin elaborates that in political communication, a communicator tends to convey messages that benefit themselves or their institution.