On February 12, 2025, the United States Senate voted to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) by a close 52-48 vote, largely along party lines. In a surprise to all, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against her nomination, citing her judgment and previous conduct as reasons.
Background: Tulsi Gabbard’s political and military career
Tulsi Gabbard, 43, is a former Democratic congresswoman and lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve from Hawaii. She represented the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021 and also ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Gabbard quit the Democratic Party in 2022 due to ideological differences and subsequently joined the Republican Party in 2024 and supported President Trump in his re-election campaign.
Controversies surrounding Gabbard’s nomination
Gabbard’s nomination was under intense scrutiny due to several of her previous statements and actions:
- Meeting Bashar al-Assad: Gabbard secretly met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017, a move that was criticized on a bipartisan level given Assad’s actions during the Syrian civil war and human rights violations.
- Sympathetic comments regarding Russia: Gabbard has come under fire for making sympathetic comments regarding Russia and its leadership. In 2022, she defended Russia’s reason for invading Ukraine, a position that was aligned with Russian propaganda and called into question her views on international conflicts.
- Defense of Edward Snowden: Gabbard once demanded pardoning former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked classified documents in 2013. She changed her position at her confirmation hearing, saying she would not advocate for a pardon or clemency for Snowden, but refused to label him a “traitor.”
- Criticism of surveillance programs: Gabbard has long been an outspoken critic of the government’s surveillance programs, specifically Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). During her confirmation hearing, she dialed back her criticism, acknowledging the tool’s value following recent congressional reforms.
Senate confirmation and split opinions
In spite of these controversies, Gabbard was confirmed on a majority vote of Republican senators. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, a decisive swing vote, voted for Gabbard after initially having some reservations, announcing that Gabbard had dispelled her concerns about Snowden in talks.
Meanwhile, Democrats universally rejected the nomination. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer excoriated Gabbard’s past comments and actions, saying that she “repeatedly speaks the language of falsities and conspiracy theories” and asking if she would be capable of standing strong against America’s adversaries.
Duties as director of national intelligence
As DNI, Gabbard will oversee 18 intelligence agencies, including the NSA and CIA, and would serve as the President’s top intelligence adviser. Gabbard committed to reforming the intelligence community by streamlining personnel and transparency. Gabbard discussed the need to concentrate on national security and restoring the people’s trust in intelligence agencies.
