OAN Staff James Meyers
9:44 AM – Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday to serve as director of national intelligence, the ex-Democrat turned Donald Trump supporter is now elevated to a cabinet-level position.
The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm the former Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) being the only Republican to vote against her, joining all Democrats in opposition of her.
It wasn’t an easy road for Gabbard, as she battled multiple combative hearings in the Senate.
“I think it’s fair to say that Ms. Gabbard’s nomination has generated a bit more interest and attention than do most nominees,” acknowledged Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) at the start of her confirmation hearing last month.
Cotton stated that after numerous FBI background checks, questionnaires and other documents and revealed that Gabbard’s record was “clean as a whistle,” before accusing Democrats of questioning her “patriotism” to the country.
The Arkansas lawmaker also cited that Hillary Clinton called her a “Russian asset.”
Throughout her intense hearings, Gabbard said that poor intelligence has led to detrimental results for America’s national security.
“For too long, faulty, inadequate, or weaponized intelligence has led to costly failures and the undermining of our national security,” Gabbard told senators. “The most obvious example of one of these failures is our invasion of Iraq based upon a total fabrication or complete failure of intelligence.”
“President Trump’s re-election is a clear mandate from the American people to break this cycle of failure, end the weaponization/politicization of the [intelligence community], and begin to restore trust in those who have been charged with the critical task of securing our nation,” she added.
Additionally, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said earlier this week that Democrats were against Gabbard and Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. because both “became disillusioned with the Democrat Party.”
Gabbard is also known for defending National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden and for going against U.S. intelligence claims that former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad deployed chemical weapons on his own people.
Virginia Democrat Senator Mark Warner, who is the vice chairman of the intelligence panel, said both picks of Gabbard and RFK Jr. are the “worst nominees to date” in a “sleazy, slimy cabinet.”
“This woman who can’t even call Snowden a traitor or still even blames NATO for the invasion of Ukraine,” Warner said of Gabbard in a video posted on X Wednesday, adding that all Democrats would oppose her confirmation.
Republican Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) was against Gabbard’s comment that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was because of “legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO.”
Gabbard replied that she was “offended by the question” and “no country or group or individual will get a pass.”
Other GOP lawmakers had also disagreements about the former Democrat’s refusal to call Snowden a “traitor” in her confirmation hearing, which caused her to publish a Newsweek op-ed vowing to stop “Snowden-like” leaks in the future.
“Snowden should have raised his concerns about illegal surveillance through authorized channels,” she wrote.
Before serving in Congress, Gabbard was a part of the Hawaii state legislature and deployed abroad as an Army National Guard officer during the Iraq war.
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