Tulsi Gabbard Nomination as Intelligence Chief Sparks Controversy

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Tulsi Gabbard Nomination as Intelligence Chief Sparks Controversy \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), is set to face intense questioning during her Senate confirmation hearing. The former Hawaii congresswoman, who once criticized Trump, has since become a vocal supporter and has drawn scrutiny for her past comments on Syria, Russia, and surveillance programs. Lawmakers will press her on her 2017 meeting with Bashar al-Assad, support for Russian narratives on Ukraine, and opposition to government surveillance programs, all of which could complicate her path to confirmation.

Gabbard’s Confirmation Hearing: Quick Looks

Unconventional Pick: Trump’s decision to nominate Gabbard as DNI is controversial due to her past foreign policy stances.
Scrutiny Over Assad Ties: Gabbard met with Syria’s Bashar al-Assad in 2017, drawing bipartisan criticism.
Pro-Russia Allegations: She has echoed Kremlin talking points on Ukraine and NATO expansion.
Surveillance Policy Shift: Gabbard once opposed FISA surveillance laws but now supports them.
Edward Snowden Praise: She previously backed Snowden’s whistleblower status, a stance unpopular in intelligence circles.
Support for Trump: Once a Democratic presidential candidate, she now supports Trump’s policies and leadership.

Deep Look

Trump’s Unconventional DNI Pick Faces Senate Scrutiny

As Tulsi Gabbard prepares for her confirmation hearing on Thursday, her past statements and foreign policy positions are expected to take center stage. The former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, now an independent and vocal Trump ally, has a complex and often controversial history on foreign relations, surveillance policies, and national security.

Gabbard, a Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard, previously served two tours in the Middle East. Despite her military background, she has frequently challenged mainstream U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Russia, Syria, and Ukraine. These positions, along with her past opposition to key intelligence tools, have raised concerns among lawmakers and intelligence officials.

Her confirmation as Director of National Intelligence (DNI)—a role that oversees more than a dozen U.S. intelligence agencies—will depend on whether she can convince senators that she will uphold intelligence priorities without ideological bias.

Gabbard’s Syria Controversy: Meeting with Assad

One of the biggest points of contention in Gabbard’s record is her 2017 trip to Syria, where she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad. At the time, both Republicans and Democrats criticized her for legitimizing Assad, who was accused of war crimes and chemical attacks against his own people.

Gabbard defended her meeting, arguing that engaging adversaries could promote peace.

“If we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, we have to meet with anyone necessary to achieve peace,” she told CNN in 2017.

She also expressed skepticism that Assad’s regime was responsible for chemical weapons attacks, despite U.S. intelligence reports confirming Assad’s role.

“I have not seen that independent investigation occur and that proof presented,” she stated at the time.

Following Assad’s downfall in December 2024, Gabbard echoed Trump’s claim that Russia withdrew its support from Assad due to its war in Ukraine. She praised Trump’s approach, saying:

“Trump has shown strong leadership in bringing wars to an end, and I fully support his strategy.”

Her comments raise serious concerns among senators about how she would handle intelligence assessments on foreign threats.

Gabbard’s Russia & Ukraine Stances Under Fire

Gabbard has repeatedly echoed Russian justifications for its invasion of Ukraine, stating that NATO expansion and U.S. policies provoked Moscow’s aggression.

“This war and suffering could have been avoided if the Biden administration and NATO had acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns,” she tweeted in 2022.

She also promoted false Russian claims about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine, warning that these facilities could release deadly pathogens—a theory debunked by independent analysts.

While Gabbard later attempted to clarify her comments, stating she was only referring to public health research, her remarks were heavily amplified by Russian state media, which has praised her views.

Lawmakers, including some Republicans, have accused her of spreading Kremlin propaganda, a major issue as she seeks to lead America’s intelligence community.

Edward Snowden & Surveillance: A Shifting Position

Gabbard has been a longtime critic of U.S. surveillance programs and previously called for pardoning Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked classified intelligence and later fled to Russia.

“If it wasn’t for Snowden, Americans wouldn’t have known the NSA was spying on them,” she wrote in 2019.

As a congresswoman, she attempted to repeal Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a critical tool for monitoring foreign threats.

Now, seeking confirmation as DNI, Gabbard says she has reversed her stance, arguing that reforms have strengthened privacy protections while maintaining national security capabilities.

“My prior concerns were based on insufficient civil liberties protections. If confirmed, I will uphold Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights while ensuring we have the intelligence tools necessary to protect national security.”

Despite this shift, some senators remain concerned about her past opposition to key intelligence-gathering mechanisms.

From Democratic Critic to Trump Ally

Gabbard’s political evolution has also drawn attention. Once a Democratic presidential candidate who called Trump “unfit for office,” she has since become one of his most vocal defenders.

She endorsed Trump in 2023, praising his “courage to engage with adversaries” and criticizing Biden’s foreign policy.

“Under Biden, we are closer to nuclear war than ever before,” she stated while backing Trump.

Gabbard has also called the criminal prosecutions against Trump “politically motivated”, accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing the Justice Department.

“They are conditioning us to accept dictatorship by targeting President Trump,” she warned.

Her about-face on Trump will likely be a major topic of questioning during her hearing, with Democrats questioning her loyalty and Republicans gauging her alignment with Trump’s intelligence priorities.

What’s Next? The Road to Confirmation

Gabbard’s confirmation is far from certain. While Trump loyalists in the Senate will likely support her nomination, centrist Republicans and skeptical Democrats may push back over:

Her foreign policy views on Russia and Ukraine.
Her meeting with Assad and statements on Syria.
Her past opposition to intelligence surveillance programs.
Her sudden political shift from Trump critic to Trump ally.

With national security stakes high, the Senate hearing will determine whether Gabbard can convince lawmakers that she will uphold America’s intelligence priorities without compromising U.S. security interests.