‘Lies and smears’: Tulsi Gabbard rails in opposition to Dem narrative she’s Trump’s and Putin’s ‘puppet’

Director of Nationwide Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard slammed the Democratic narrative that she is a puppet for U.S. and world leaders, saying she is loyal to solely God, the Structure and her personal conscience in her opening remarks earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. 

“Earlier than I shut, I wish to warn the American people who find themselves watching at dwelling. Chances are you’ll hear lies and smears on this listening to that may problem my loyalty to and my love for our nation,” Gabbard stated.

“Those that oppose my nomination indicate that I’m loyal to one thing or somebody aside from God, my very own conscience and the Structure of the USA. Accusing me of being Trump’s puppet, Putin’s puppet, Assad’s puppet, a guru’s puppet, Modi’s puppet, not recognizing the absurdity of concurrently being the puppet of 5 completely different puppet masters,” she continued. 

Gabbard appeared earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as a part of her affirmation course of to function director of nationwide intelligence below President Donald Trump’s second time period. 

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Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of Nationwide Intelligence, arrives to testify throughout her affirmation listening to earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee within the Dirksen Senate Workplace Constructing on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Getty Photographs)

“The identical tactic was used in opposition to President Trump and failed,” she continued of the accusations in opposition to her. 

“The American individuals elected President Trump with a decisive victory and mandate for change. The actual fact is, what actually unsettles my political opponents, is I refuse to be their puppet. I’ve no love for Assad or Gaddafi or any dictator. I simply hate al-Qaeda. I hate that now we have leaders who cozy as much as Islamist extremists, minimizing them to so-called rebels.”

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Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of Nationwide Intelligence, testifies throughout her affirmation listening to earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee within the Dirksen Senate Workplace Constructing on January 30, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Getty Photographs)

Gabbard was elected to the U.S. Home representing Hawaii throughout the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat till 2021. She didn’t search re-election to that workplace after throwing her hat within the 2020 White Home race. 

Gabbard left the Democratic Occasion in 2022, registering as an impartial, earlier than turning into a member of the GOP this yr and providing her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential marketing campaign earlier than Trump named her his DNI decide. 

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Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election evening watch celebration on the Palm Seashore Conference Heart, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Seashore, Fla. (Evan Vucci/AP)

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“If confirmed as director of nationwide intelligence, I’ll proceed to dwell by the oath that I’ve sworn at the very least eight occasions in my life, each in uniform, as and as a member of Congress. I’ll assist and defend our God-given freedoms enshrined within the Structure of the USA in opposition to all enemies, international and home. And I’ll bear true religion and allegiance to the identical,” she stated.