The Senate Intelligence Committee has now reportedly narrowly approved Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies, marking another progression in President Trump’s initiative to populate his second administration with loyal yet occasionally unconventional cabinet selections.
In a vote held behind closed doors, Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and war veteran, barely passed. As per party lines, the vote was 9–8.
Republican senators have generally supported her, and she has emerged as a favorite among MAGA conservatives who support Trump.
Although the panel vote was viewed as a significant obstacle, Gabbard still needs to receive confirmation by a full Senate vote.
The outcome demonstrated that her nomination was supported by a number of crucial GOP members, including Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Susan Collins of Maine.
Senators on the panel expressed disapproval of Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence, citing her prior remarks that occasionally appeared to favor foreign leaders—such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad—over the decisions of the very liberal deep state agencies she had been appointed to lead.
Above all, Gabbard seemed to irritate neoconservative leaning Republicans on the issue of her inability to strongly denounce former U.S. intelligence contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Gabbard attempted to backtrack on her earlier remarks regarding Snowden during her confirmation hearing last week, saying that he should be pardoned, but she remained silent when many senators, both Democratic and Republican, asked her if he was a traitor.
Snowden is facing criminal charges in the United States for disclosing to media a series of top-secret National Security Agency files that revealed covert surveillance techniques over ten years ago.
During Gabbard’s hearing, his name was brought up over 50 times.
The Senate is controlled by Republicans, 53–47. If every Democrat votes against Trump’s pick, he can afford to lose just three GOP votes for any of his choices.
Collins, one of three Republicans who voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is one of several moderate Republicans who serve on the intelligence committee.
However, Collins, a co-author of the 2004 law that established the national intelligence directorate, remarked in a statement on Monday that the organization had become too big and that she had now decided to support Gabbard.
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