Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination at risk of being blocked when she leads to confirmation hearing. Here’s what to know

Washington – Tulsi Gabbard‘s nomination should be President Trump’s director of national intelligence is in danger when she faces skepticism from senators prior to her confirmation hearing Thursday.

Gabbard, a former Democratic congregation from Hawaii and fighting veteran, facing a narrow path to affirmation in the midst of concern about her decision to meet with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad In 2017, her past pushes to pardon the National Security Agency Whistleblower Edward SnowdenHer views on Ukraine And her previous opposition to renewing an important government monitoring authority, known as section 702 of the Foreign Intervolysis Act.

If confirmed, the 43-year-old, which has no background in intelligence, would be tasked with supervising the country’s 18 spy agencies.

Last week, two sources told CBS News that Gabbard’s nomination risks being blocked and called the situation “Fluid.” Sens. Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine are among the Republicans who are concerned about her nomination, they said.

Collins sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee and could tilt the scale against her. Gabbard cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote on the panel that has nine GOP members and eight Democrats. Collins said Wednesday she is still not determined.

“I do not make a decision on nominees until after the hearing is completed,” she said.

Collins said on Monday that she is seeking clarity from Gabbard about her attitude in section 702. Gabbard, who tried to abolish the controversial law empowering the US government to collect communication from foreigners abroad without a justification, has since turned her attitude. In one declaration To Punchbowl earlier this month, Gabbard said she is now supporting the surveillance authority and calling it “crucial” to protect national security.

“My past concern over FISA was based on inadequate protection of civil freedoms, especially with regard to the FBI’s abuse of guarantee search powers on US citizens. Significant FISA reforms have been adopted since my time in Congress to tackle these issues,” she said. “If confirmed as DNI, I will maintain the fourth change rights of Americans while maintaining important national security tools such as section 702 to ensure the security and freedom of the American people.”

Collins said Gabbard’s answer to her question has been “uncovered and fuzzy.”

Gabbard’s secret trip to Syria in 2017, where she met with Assad, is expected to be another focus on Thursday’s consultation. Gabbard’s turn was facing a scream from her colleagues who argued that it legitimized the brutal dictator. Assad fled from the country In December 2024 after his regime was overturned.

“When the opportunity arose to meet with him, I did it because I felt it is important that if we acknowledge to really worry about the Syrian people about their suffering, then we have to be able to Meet with anyone we need if there is an opportunity for us to achieve peace, ”she said in 2017.

She also doubted if the Assad -regime was behind one Chemical weapons attack On his own civilians, as international arms experts said, came from Syrian government.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican in South Carolina, who is not a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, NBC’s “Meet the Press” told on Sunday that he would be aware of Gabbard’s consultation.

“I tend to vote for almost everyone on both parties, but I want to see how the hearing is going,” Graham said. “Why did you go to Syria? What did you do with regard to Assad (Regime)? Why do you think Edward Snowden should be held as a hero? I certainly don’t.”

By 2020, Gabbard called for the dismissal of charges against Snowden, who leaked a trove of information about the US government’s top secret mass surveillance programs. Snowden, who was charged with espionage in 2013, has lived in exile in Russia.

Gabbard pulled further Ire after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in full scale in 2022 when she gave statements considered by some as parrot Russian propaganda.

“This war and suffering could have been easily avoided if the Biden Admin/NATO had simply recognized Russia’s legitimate security concerns about Ukraine’s became a member of NATO, which would mean us/NATO forces right at Russia’s border,” she wrote At that time.

Republican Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas said Wednesday that he expects Gabbard’s potential confirmation reconciliation to be “really close.”

“I still have confidence,” he said. “I think she’s an outsider that she’s a disturbance.”

contributed to this report.