‘Refuse to be their puppet’: Prime 5 moments from Tulsi Gabbard’s DNI affirmation

President Donald Trump’s decide for director of nationwide intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, confronted an hourslong listening to earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, fielding a bevy of questions associated to her {qualifications} and former remarks associated to nationwide safety. 

Gabbard appeared earlier than the intelligence committee on Thursday morning the place she labored to rally assist from lawmakers forward of Senate committee and flooring votes. 

Fox Information Digital reported forward of the listening to that Gabbard didn’t have a majority of its committee members’ votes, that are crucial to maneuver to the complete Senate, based on a senior Intel Committee aide. Gabbard doubtless will want each Republican vote to maneuver previous the committee, assuming Democrats vote in opposition to her. 

A spokesperson for Gabbard disregarded issues that Gabbard wouldn’t have sufficient committee votes in an announcement to Fox Information Digital forward of the listening to. 

“Nameless sources are going to proceed to lie and smear to attempt to take down the President’s nominees and subvert the need of the American individuals and the media is enjoying a task in publishing these lies,” the spokesperson mentioned. “That doesn’t change the truth that Lt. Col. Gabbard is immensely certified for this function and we stay up for her listening to.”

Fox Information Digital compiled the highest 5 moments, exchanges and highlights from the listening to, which ended forward of 1 p.m. on Thursday earlier than it moved to a closed session later within the afternoon. 

Gabbard rails she’s nobody’s ‘puppet’ in opening remarks 

Gabbard kicked off her Thursday listening to by preemptively combating “lies and smears” she anticipated to listen to from some Senate lawmakers, together with that she concurrently operates as a “puppet” for Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and others. 

“Earlier than I shut, I wish to warn the American people who find themselves watching at dwelling: You could hear lies and smears on this listening to that may problem my loyalty to and my love for our nation,” Gabbard mentioned.

“Those that oppose my nomination suggest that I’m loyal to one thing or somebody apart from God, my very own conscience and the Structure of america,” she continued. “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.” 

‘LIES AND SMEARS’: TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE’S TRUMP’S AND PUTIN’S ‘PUPPET’

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

Gabbard’s critics have slammed her since Trump’s election win and her nomination, together with claiming she lacks the {qualifications} for the function, questioning her judgment over her 2017 assembly with then-Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and labeling her a “doubtless a Russian asset,” as Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz claimed in November 2024. 

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

All eyes on Snowden: Was he ‘a traitor’?  

Gabbard was questioned on her views of Nationwide Safety Company whistleblower Edward Snowden repeatedly all through the listening to, together with by rating member Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., in addition to Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Susan Collins, R-Maine, James Lankford, R-Okla., and others.

“Was Edward Snowden a traitor to america of America?” Bennet requested Gabbard. 

“He broke the legislation,” Gabbard responded. 

“Was Edward Snowden a traitor?” Lankford additionally requested. 

TOP SENATE INTELLIGENCE DEM GRILLS GABBARD IF EDWARD SNOWDEN IS ‘BRAVE’: ‘VERY TROUBLING’

“Senator, my coronary heart is with my dedication to our Structure and our nation’s safety,” she responded. “I’ve proven all through my nearly 22 years of service within the navy, in addition to my time in Congress, how significantly I take the privilege of accessing categorized info and our nation’s secrets and techniques. And that is why I am dedicated, if confirmed as director of nationwide intelligence, to hitch you in ensuring that there isn’t any future Snowden-type leak.” 

Gabbard beforehand has made favorable remarks associated to Snowden throughout the years, together with in 2019 on Joe Rogan’s podcast, and calling on Trump in 2020 to pardon “courageous whistleblowers exposing lies and unlawful actions in our authorities,” corresponding to Snowden. 

“If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American individuals would by no means have discovered the NSA was amassing cellphone information and spying on People,” she mentioned on “The Joe Rogan Expertise” podcast in 2019.

Snowden was working as an info expertise contractor for the Nationwide Safety Company in 2013 when he traveled to Hong Kong to satisfy with three journalists and transferred 1000’s of pages of categorized paperwork concerning the U.S. authorities’s surveillance of its residents to them. He quickly traveled to Russia and deliberate to move to Ecuador, however federal authorities canceled his passport and indicted him for espionage.

Snowden in the end remained in Russia and have become a naturalized citizen in 2022.

“Till you might be nominated by the president to be the DNI, you constantly praised the actions of Edward Snowden, somebody, I imagine, jeopardized the safety of our nation after which, to flaunt that, fled to Russia,” Warner mentioned to Gabbard on Thursday morning. 

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., helped conduct the Senate Choose Intelligence Committee affirmation listening to for Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of nationwide intelligence, on Jan. 30, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name through Getty Pictures)

“You even known as Edward Snowden, and I quote right here, ‘a courageous whistleblower,’” he mentioned. “Each member of this committee helps the rights of authorized whistleblowers. However Edward Snowden is not a whistleblower, and on this case, I am so much nearer to the chairman’s phrases the place he mentioned Snowden is, quote, ‘an egotistical serial liar and traitor’ who, quote, ‘deserves to rot in jail for the remainder of his life.’ Ms. Gabbard, a easy sure or no query: Do you continue to suppose Edward Snowden is courageous?”

Gabbard pushed again that Snowden “broke the legislation” and doesn’t agree along with his leak of intelligence.

“Mr. Vice Chairman, Edward Snowden broke the legislation,” she mentioned. “I don’t agree with or assist with the entire info and intelligence that he launched nor the way in which through which he did it. There would have been alternatives for him to come back to you on this committee or search out the IG to launch that info. The actual fact is, he additionally, whilst he broke the legislation, launched info that uncovered egregious, unlawful and unconstitutional packages which can be taking place inside our authorities.” 

Gabbard says 9/11 doubtless might have been prevented

Gabbard argued that the assault on 9/11 doubtless might have been prevented if authorities “stovepiping” had not suppressed intelligence communications from reaching different officers. 

Stovepiping is known as info being delivered via an remoted channel of communication to authorities higher-ups with out broadening the distribution of the knowledge. 

“There is a normal consensus that there was an enormous intelligence failure,” Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., mentioned throughout Gabbard’s listening to concerning 9/11. “This caught us all abruptly, although the World Commerce Heart had been attacked earlier. Do you suppose stovepipeing was an issue in our intelligence failure?”

“There isn’t any query about it, senator,” Gabbard mentioned earlier than Wicker requested her to elaborate. 

GABBARD SAYS 9/11 LIKELY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF NOT FOR INTELLIGENCE ‘STOVEPIPING’

“Senator, after we appeared again on the post-9/11 reporting and the post-assessments that had been made, it was very clear that there was stovepiping of data and intelligence that occurred at many ranges, on the highest but in addition on the lowest ranges,” she mentioned. 

“Data that was collected by the FBI, info that was collected by the CIA was not being shared,” she mentioned. “It was nearly ships passing within the night time, the place if there was an integration of these intelligence parts and knowledge being shared, it’s extremely doubtless that that horrific assault might have been prevented.” 

Wicker pressed if the intelligence neighborhood might face one other “stovepipe” challenge sooner or later if plans to trim the director of nationwide intelligence workplace of redundant jobs and improve effectivity, as Gabbard has mentioned she is going to do, is put in force. 

TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED

“The issue that we had in 2001, senator, stays on the forefront of my thoughts,” she responded. “And as you mentioned, that is precisely why the ODNI was created. Given my restricted vantage level not being on this seat, I’m involved that there are nonetheless issues with stovepiping that must be addressed. And in some circumstances, my concern could be that pointless bureaucratic layers could also be contributing to that drawback.” 

Gabbard sheds gentle on Assad assembly 

Critics and Democrat lawmakers have slammed Gabbard for a 2017 assembly with then-Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, claiming it’s proof she could be a “hazard to the American individuals” if confirmed. 

Gabbard met with Assad in 2017, years earlier than his authorities was overthrown in 2024, and publicly revealed the assembly after she returned from Syria. Gabbard was a member of the U.S. Home representing Hawaii on the time of the assembly. 

“There may be not an excellent deal within the public report about what you and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad mentioned for therefore lengthy in January of 2017,” Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., mentioned to Gabbard on Thursday. “And I believe there’s quite a lot of curiosity from the American individuals about what was mentioned in that assembly. So what did you speak about? And did you press Assad on issues like his use of chemical weapons, systematic torture and the killing of so many Syrians?” 

“Sure, Senator. I, upon getting back from this journey, I met with individuals like then-Chief Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, talked to them and answered their questions concerning the journey,” Gabbard responded. 

GABBARD SHEDS LIGHT ON ASSAD VISIT, EXPRESSES SHOCK INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY SHOWED NO INTEREST AT THE TIME

Former Speaker of the Home Nancy Pelosi had met with Assad in 2007, regardless of then-President George W. Bush’s criticism of the go to. 

Gabbard remarked that she was stunned by the dearth of curiosity on the time from the intelligence neighborhood concerning her personal assembly. 

“I used to be stunned that there was nobody from the intelligence neighborhood or the State Division who reached out or confirmed any curiosity in anyway in my takeaways from that journey,” Gabbard mentioned. “I might have been very pleased to have a dialog and provides them a backbrief. I went with former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who had been there many occasions earlier than and who had met with Assad earlier than. Quite a lot of subjects had been lined and mentioned. And to immediately reply your query, sure. I requested him robust questions on his personal regime’s actions. Using chemical weapons and the brutal ways that had been getting used in opposition to his personal individuals.”

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET

“Have been you in a position to extract any concessions from President Assad?” Heinrich requested Gabbard. 

“No, and I did not count on to, however I felt these points had been vital to handle,” she mentioned. 

Heinrich continued to press whether or not now Gabbard considers “this journey nearly as good judgment?”

“Sure, Senator. And I imagine that leaders, whether or not you be in Congress or the president of america, can profit vastly by going and fascinating boots on the bottom, studying and listening and assembly immediately with individuals, whether or not they be adversaries or mates,” Gabbard mentioned. 

Gabbard vows to chop workplace’s ‘redundancies’

Tulsi Gabbard is going through criticism from senators over her lack of intelligence expertise and her opinions on home surveillance powers. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Pictures)

Gabbard vowed that she would minimize redundancies from the workplace of the director of nationwide intelligence in an effort to streamline effectivity and forestall intelligence failures that may result in devastation and tragedy. 

“I will work to evaluate and deal with efficiencies, redundancies and effectiveness throughout ODNI to make sure focus of personnel and assets is on our core mission of nationwide safety,” she mentioned as a part of her opening remarks on Thursday. “In my conferences that I’ve had with a lot of you, you expressed bipartisan frustration about current intelligence failures in addition to the dearth of responsiveness to your requests for info, whether or not it is the shock Oct. seventh Hamas terrorist assault to the sudden takeover of Syria by Islamist extremists, failures to determine the supply of COVID, anomalous well being incidents, UAPs, drones and extra. If confirmed, I stay up for working with you to handle these points.” 

The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., requested Gabbard to elaborate on her mission of chopping authorities fats from the workplace, together with asking her if she would restore it to “its authentic dimension, scope and performance.”

“Through the years, nonetheless, the ODNI has strayed from this imaginative and prescient to a corporation that now publicly boasts almost 2,000 individuals, greater than half of whom usually are not detailed from an intelligence company however fairly are profession ODNI bureaucrats,” Cotton mentioned. “They’ve even developed facilities which can be producing their very own evaluation. Will you commit at the moment to working with this committee, to restoring the ODNI to its authentic dimension, scope and performance?”

“Sure, Senator,” Gabbard responded. “I stay up for working with you and the committee as I, if confirmed, assess the present standing of who’s working within the ODNI and the perform that they fulfill to ensure of its effectiveness and elimination of redundancies and bloating.” 

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump dances as he leaves the stage after talking alongside former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard throughout a city corridor assembly in La Crosse, Wis., in August 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP through Getty Pictures)

Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel within the Military Reserves since 2021 after beforehand serving within the Hawaii Military Nationwide Guard for about 17 years. She 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. 

TULSI GABBARD SAYS TRUMP ‘LISTENS’ AND ‘RECOGNIZES’ CHALLENGES AMERICANS FACE

Gabbard left the Democratic Celebration in 2022, registering as an impartial, earlier than changing into a member of the Republican Celebration in 2024 and providing her full endorsement of Trump in his presidential marketing campaign. 

Gabbard has been outspoken in opposition to creating new wars, declaring in her speech in October 2024 throughout Trump’s Madison Sq. Backyard rally {that a} vote for Harris was a vote for “conflict.”

“I’ve served now for over 21 years,” she mentioned. “I’ve deployed to completely different conflict zones thrice over that interval, and I’ve seen the price of conflict for my brothers and sisters who paid the final word value. I carry their reminiscences and their sacrifice in my coronary heart every single day. So, this alternative that we’ve earlier than us as People is essential. It is vital to us. It is vital to these of us who serve, who’ve volunteered to place our lives on the road for the security, safety and freedom of our nation and our individuals.” 

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“A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney,” she mentioned on the time. “And it is a vote for conflict, extra conflict, doubtless World Battle III and nuclear conflict. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a person who needs to finish wars, not begin them, and who has demonstrated already that he has the braveness and power to face up and battle for peace.” 

Fox Information Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.