If she is confirmed as director of nationwide intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard could be the youngest-ever in that position, the primary millennial, the primary Asian American, and solely the second lady to carry the place.
However she is predicted to face questions in her affirmation listening to earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee about statements she has made that seem to help U.S. enemies and dictators in addition to having no vital expertise in intelligence. Gabbard can afford to lose the votes of solely three Republicans and sources inform ABC Information the vote on her nomination is predicted to be an in depth one.
Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., started his opening assertion by expressing “dismay” at what he characterised as unfair assaults on Gabbard’s patriotism, citing Hillary Clinton’s accusation that she was “an asset of a international nation,” referring, after all, to Russia.
Cotton mentioned he personally “spent two hours” reviewing Gabbard’s previous background checks and located them “clear as a whistle.”
“Little doubt she has some unconventional views,” Cotton acknowledged, however urged any criticism from Democrats displays their frustration that she “noticed the sunshine” and left their social gathering.
In his opening assertion, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the committee’s high Democrat, ticked by way of a litany of Gabbard’s extra controversial public statements to exhibit what he referred to as his “vital considerations about your judgment and your {qualifications}.”
“Now I do not know in case your intent in making these statements was to defend these dictators, or when you have been merely unaware of the intelligence and the way your statements could be perceived,” Warner mentioned. “In both case, it raises severe questions on your judgment.”
In her opening assertion, Gabbard confronted her critics.
“I need to warn the American people who find themselves watching at dwelling. You could hear lies and smears on this listening to that can problem my loyalty to and my love for our nation,” she 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 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 totally different puppet masters.
“The identical tactic was used in opposition to President Trump and failed. The American individuals elected President Trump with a decisive victory and mandate for change. The very fact is, what really unsettles my political opponents is I refuse to be their puppet,” she continued.
For many of her profession, Gabbard has damaged obstacles. She was the youngest lady ever elected to a state home of representatives and the primary to graduate from the Accelerated Officer Candidate College on the Alabama Navy Academy as a distinguished honor graduate. In Congress, she was the primary Samoan American, the youngest lady elected on the time, and the primary fight veteran to serve — a distinction she shares with Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
Gabbard has ready extensively over the previous two months for her hearings, assembly with former DNI leaders, together with John Negroponte, the primary DNI, and Michael Allen, who led Negroponte’s affirmation listening to preparations. She additionally has consulted with Trump allies Morgan Ortagus, deputy particular presidential envoy for Center East peace, and FBI director nominee Kash Patel.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard through the State of the Union deal with earlier than members of Congress within the Home chamber of the Capitol, Feb. 5, 2019.
Melina Mara/The Washington Publish through Getty Pictures
She has sought enter from a broad vary of intelligence specialists, former authorities officers and lawmakers throughout the aisle. She has participated in coverage roundtables with legal professionals, ex-intelligence officers, and nationwide safety negotiators, together with figures concerned within the Abraham Accords.
She additionally held a full-scale mock affirmation listening to forward of Thursday’s Senate Intelligence Committee proceedings. Former Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who chaired the committee from 2015 to 2020, will introduce her.
Sources on either side of the aisle on Capitol Hill inform ABC Information Gabbard will probably face scrutiny over her previous stances on Russia, Ukraine, Syria, and Iran, in addition to her protection of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who reached a plea cope with the Justice Division over disseminating labeled paperwork he had obtained illegally. Gabbard mentioned final yr on “Actual Time With Invoice Maher” that “the costs in opposition to him are one of many greatest assaults on freedom of the press that we have seen and freedom of speech.”
As a member of Congress, Gabbard launched a invoice in 2020 calling for the federal authorities to drop all costs in opposition to Edward Snowden, the previous NSA contractor who leaked data in 2013 about how the U.S. authorities surveils the American public.
She’s additionally anticipated to face query on her reversal on Part 702 of the International Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a key surveillance device she voted in opposition to reauthorizing in 2020, her final yr in Congress.
Gabbard argued that People should not be pressured to decide on between safety and liberty, saying that the Patriot Act and FISA have “been permitting for the abuses of our civil liberties and overreach by our personal intelligence and legislation enforcement companies by way of doing issues like warrantless sweeping assortment of our information, violating our Fourth Modification constitutional rights.”
Gabbard can also be anticipated to face questions previous statements about former President Donald Trump together with her choice to vote current on Donald Trump’s.
Over the past two months, Gabbard has met with greater than 50 senators, primarily Republicans. The conferences have largely served as an introduction — a chance to clarify her previous positions and assuage considerations about her political evolution. A supply near her informed ABC Information, “They know they cannot put her in a field. She’s not a Democrat. She’s a brand new Republican. She has very comparable, if not 100% aligned, views with President Trump on ‘America First’ international coverage. That makes individuals uneasy as a result of they cannot fairly determine her out.”
Gabbard, like Trump, is a former Democrat whose coverage views have shifted considerably. Her evolution has been formed by her 22 years within the Military, together with deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, and Djibouti. If confirmed, she would be the first feminine DNI to have served within the navy. She plans to proceed serving within the Military Reserve, which is permitted below ODNI rules.
Behind the scenes, Gabbard has earned bipartisan help throughout the intelligence group for her willingness to have interaction with a variety of stakeholders. Earlier this month, the households of two former ISIS and al-Qaeda hostages publicly endorsed her nomination in a letter shared with ABC Information. The mother and father of Kayla Mueller, who was killed by ISIS, and Theo Padnos, a former al-Qaeda hostage, argued that the radicalization of people — similar to Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who drove his truck right into a crowd of New Orleans New 12 months’s revelers — underscores the necessity for Gabbard’s swift affirmation.
The letter of help got here below scrutiny by some lawmakers after rebels toppled Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard met with Assad in Syria in 2017, which stays some extent of controversy. She has beforehand defended the journey as a “fact-finding mission” and has maintained that U.S. intervention in Syria empowered extremist teams.
Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of Nationwide Intelligence, arrives to fulfill with Senators on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 9, 2025.
Allison Robbert/AFP through Getty Pictures
Gabbard warned in the identical yr that she was involved that toppling Assad’s regime might result in teams like ISIS and al-Qaeda to step in to fill the void and “utterly bloodbath all non secular minorities there in Syria.”
“I had no intention of assembly with Assad, however when given the chance, I felt it was essential to take it,” Gabbard mentioned in a 2017 assertion. “We must be prepared to fulfill with anybody if there’s an opportunity it might probably assist result in an finish to this warfare.”
Padnos, who was kidnapped by the al-Nusra Entrance in 2012 and held for almost two years, mentioned Gabbard’s willingness to have interaction with hostage households compelled him to talk out.
“This can be a lady with deep compassion for the victims of terrorism and the braveness to get issues executed,” he informed ABC Information. “No person else has provided their assist — besides Tulsi.”
Gabbard informed ABC Information that she was “honored and humbled by that assertion of help.”
She has additionally obtained backing from legislation enforcement. The Nationwide Sheriffs’ Affiliation endorsed her nomination, citing her dedication to bridging intelligence gaps between federal companies and native authorities. In a press release, the group praised Gabbard’s pledge to present sheriffs “a seat on the desk” in nationwide safety discussions.
Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of nationwide intelligence, attends to testify earlier than a Senate Intelligence Committee affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 30, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Sheriff Kieran Donahue, president of the Nationwide Sheriffs’ Affiliation, wrote “Gabbard has demonstrated a dedication to addressing the crucial disconnect between our intelligence companies and native legislation enforcement in getting ready for classy and pervasive threats.”
A supply near Gabbard informed ABC Information that her focus as director of nationwide intelligence can be on restoring belief within the intelligence group and reforming what’s and is not labeled. Particularly, she goals to make sure that the intelligence offered to the Senate and White Home just isn’t data already out there to lawmakers by way of media retailers. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have expressed concern concerning the overclassification of data.
The supply added that Gabbard intends to offer extra correct, uncooked intelligence to assist lawmakers make knowledgeable choices, fairly than counting on overclassified information. She additionally plans to streamline the method for safety clearances and return ODNI to its unique mission — main the intelligence group by fostering integration, collaboration and innovation.
Her allies argue that her outsider perspective will assist modernize the intelligence group — although critics stay skeptical of her lack of conventional expertise.
Thursday’s listening to will check whether or not Gabbard can win over skeptics — or if her controversial previous will derail her bid to turn into the nation’s high intelligence officer.
