Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, has been confirmed as the director of national intelligence in the United States, a cabinet-level role in the administration of President Donald Trump.
Wednesday’s confirmation in the Senate was considered one of the most controversial of Trump’s second term.
Nevertheless, the Republican-controlled Senate voted 52-48, mostly along party lines, to approve Gabbard for the post, which oversees the 18 agencies in the US intelligence community.
The only Republican to vote against her was Senator Mitch McConnell, who had been the party’s leader in the chamber for 18 years until the end of last year.
Gabbard was an unconventional pick, given her past comments expressing sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and her support for government leaker Edward Snowden.
Gabbard also travelled to Syria in 2017 to meet with now-ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, a move that drew bipartisan condemnation given the accusations of widespread human rights abuses under his leadership.
In a statement, McConnell voiced continued concerns about Gabbard’s nomination.
“The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a Director of National Intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment,” he wrote, calling Gabbard an “unnecessary risk”.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created to address intelligence failures exposed by the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Republicans, however, have increasingly criticised the office, saying it has grown too large and politicised. Trump himself has long viewed the nation’s intelligence services with suspicion.
“The intelligence community needs to refocus on its core mission, collecting intelligence and providing unbiased analysis of that information,” Republican Senate leader John Thune said in his endorsement of Gabbard.
As director of national intelligence, Gabbard will have broad access to classified material and serve as the president’s main intelligence adviser.
Gabbard, a military veteran with isolationist views, takes over the role as Trump works to reshape vast portions of the federal government through spending and staffing cuts.
For instance, the CIA, one of the intelligence agencies now under Gabbard’s command, confirmed last week that it has offered buyouts to encourage voluntary staff resignations.
Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about Trump adviser Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to sensitive government information about intelligence operations.
Snowden, Syria and Russia
During her confirmation hearings last month, Gabbard faced pointed questioning about her past defence of Snowden, a former security contractor who leaked classified documents revealing the scope of US surveillance programmes.
Facing criminal charges for violating the Espionage Act, Snowden fled the US in 2013 and was granted asylum in Russia.
Some senators were noticeably frustrated at Gabbard’s refusal to call Snowden a traitor.
“Edward Snowden broke the law,” she said. “The fact is he also – even as he broke the law – released information that exposed egregious, illegal and unconstitutional programmes.”
Gabbard’s 2017 visit with al-Assad was another flashpoint. Critics accused her of lending legitimacy and the appearance of US support to al-Assad, who has been accused of war crimes.
Her comments casting doubt on whether al-Assad used chemical weapons against Syrians spurred further controversy.
During her confirmation hearing, however, Gabbard defended the meeting, saying she used the opportunity to press the Syrian leader on his human rights record.
“I asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions, the use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were being used against his own people,” Gabbard said.
She also fended off criticism about a past statement in which she said Russia had “legitimate security concerns” that precipitated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Another Trump victory
In the lead-up to Wednesday’s vote, it was unclear whether Gabbard’s nomination would succeed.
Several Republicans, including Todd Young of Indiana, had raised concerns. Young ultimately came under pressure from Trump allies like Musk, who branded him a “deep-state puppet” on social media.
Musk later deleted the post and spoke to Young. Afterwards, Young announced his decision to vote for Gabbard’s confirmation, and Musk posted a revised message: “I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy.”
In the end, all but one of the Senate Republicans voted in Gabbard’s favour.
Sceptics in the party said they were won over by her promise to refocus on the office’s core missions: coordinating federal intelligence work and serving as the president’s chief intelligence adviser.
“While I continue to have concerns about certain positions she has previously taken, I appreciate her commitment to rein in the outsized scope of the agency,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska.
She added that Gabbard will bring “independent thinking” to the job.
Gabbard’s confirmation was another victory for Trump as he pushes to secure quick Senate approvals for all of his high-level nominees.
Democrats who opposed her nomination noted that Gabbard had no experience working for an intelligence agency and questioned whether she would stand up to Trump if necessary.
“It is an insult to people who have dedicated their lives and put themselves in harm’s way to have her confirmed into this position,” said Elissa Slotkin, a Democratic senator from Michigan and former CIA analyst.
Gabbard, a presidential candidate in 2020, left the Democratic Party two years later, branding it an “elitist cabal”.
She was an independent until last year when she backed Trump and joined the Republican Party.
