Intel nominee Tulsi Gabbard tries to win over skeptics in U.S. Senate confirmation hearing

by Shauneen Miranda, Louisiana Illuminator
January 30, 2025

WASHINGTON — As Tulsi Gabbard bids to be the next director of national intelligence, the former Hawaii congresswoman took heat from U.S. senators Thursday over her past statements and actions.

Gabbard, seen as President Donald Trump’s most vulnerable Cabinet nominee, has been in the thick of controversy over her views on foreign policy, her meetings with the former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and accusations of promoting Russian propaganda.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced serious concerns about Gabbard’s nomination.

If confirmed, Gabbard would take on a massive role in overseeing 18 agencies and organizations in the intelligence community.

She would also be responsible for a budget of more than $100 billion.

Gabbard, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, ran an unsuccessful 2020 Democratic presidential campaign and later joined the Republican Party.

She echoed Trump’s claims of “weaponization” in the federal government, particularly in the intelligence community, while appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a highly anticipated confirmation hearing.

Gabbard said she would “work to end the politicization of the intelligence community,” if confirmed.

Cotton, Ernst, Burr offer support

Sen. Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence panel, threw his support behind Gabbard ahead of Thursday’s hearing.

The Arkansas Republican took to Gabbard’s defense in his opening remarks, saying he’s “dismayed by the attacks” on “Gabbard’s patriotism and her loyalty to our country.”

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and former North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr also praised Gabbard during their introductions of the nominee, highlighting her military service and congressional record.

Burr, a Republican who previously chaired the Senate Intelligence panel, said Gabbard “fought in war, and yes — she’s tried to stop wars.”

“At the ripe age of 43, Tulsi has the life experiences that match or exceed most members of Congress,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Warner, ranking member of the Senate panel, said he continues to have “significant concerns” regarding Gabbard’s “judgment” and “qualifications to meet the standard set by law.”

“It appears to me, you have repeatedly excused our adversaries’ worst actions — instead, you often blame them on the United States and those very allies,” the Virginia Democrat said.

Bennet presses on Edward Snowden as ‘traitor’

Throughout the tense hearing, Gabbard refused to call Edward Snowden — a former National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified information regarding surveillance efforts — a traitor.

“Is Edward Snowden a traitor to the United States of America? That is not a hard question to answer when the stakes are this high,” said Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who asked her the question several times.

While serving in the House, Gabbard introduced a resolution in 2020 alongside then-Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida “expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Government should drop all charges against Edward Snowden.”

Gabbard repeatedly said Snowden “broke the law” and expressed disagreement with “how he chose to release information and the extent of the information intelligence that he released.”

“It’s my focus on the future, and I think we can all agree that we do not want to have another Snowden-type leak, and I’ve laid out specific actions if confirmed as (director of national intelligence) to do that,” Gabbard said.

But when pressed by Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins on whether she would recommend any kind of clemency for Snowden, Gabbard said she would not support a pardon, if confirmed.

FISA Section 702

Senators also called out Gabbard’s previous views against Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — a program that authorizes the federal government to conduct surveillance on foreigners outside of the country.

Gabbard introduced a bill in 2020 with Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky that sought to repeal the program.

However, she reversed course and is now in support of Section 702, which she said “provides a unique security tool and capability that is essential for our national security.”

Meeting with ousted Syrian dictator, views on Russia

Gabbard also expanded on her controversial meetings with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017.

“I have no love for Assad or Gaddafi or any dictator,” Gabbard said in her opening remarks. “I just hate al-Qaida.”

Gabbard said that when she met with Assad, she “asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions, the use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were being used against his own people.”

She also said Russian President Vladimir Putin “started the war in Ukraine.”

Gabbard previously made comments appearing to blame the United States and NATO for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO, which would mean US/NATO forces right on Russia’s border,” she wrote in a post on social media in February 2022. 

Last updated 4:31 p.m., Jan. 30, 2025

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