Tulsi Gabbard confirmed as US Director of National Intelligence | Donald Trump News

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congregation, has been confirmed as director of national intelligence in the United States, a role in the cabinet level in the administration of President Donald Trump.

Wednesday’s confirmation in the Senate was considered one of the most controversial of Trump’s second period.

Nevertheless, the Republican-controlled Senate 52-48 voted mostly along party lines, to approve Gabbard for the position that oversees the 18 agencies in the US intelligence community.

The only Republican who voted 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 choice, considering her previous comments expressing sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and her support for government leaks Edward Snowden.

Gabbard also traveled to Syria in 2017 to meet with the now excellent leader Bashar al-Assad, a step that drew bipartisan condemnation considering the accusations of widespread human rights violations under his leadership.

In a statement, McConnell expressed concern for Gabbard’s nomination.

“The nation should not have to worry about the intelligence assessments that the president receives is occupied by a director of national intelligence with a history of alarming lapse in the verdict,” he wrote, calling Gabbard an “unnecessary risk”.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was established to tackle intelligence errors postponed by the attacks on September 11, 2001.

However, Republicans have increasingly criticized the office and say it has grown too large and politicized. Trump himself has long seen the nation’s intelligence services with suspicion.

“The intelligence community has to focus on its central mission, collect intelligence and provide impartial analysis of this information,” Republican Senate Senate Manager John Thune said In his approval of Gabbard.

As director of National Intelligence, Gabbard will have broad access to classified material and serve as the president’s most important intelligence adviser.

Gabbard, a military veteran with isolationist views, takes over the role as Trump works to reshape large parts of the federal government through expenses and staff cuts.

For example, the CIA, one of the intelligence agencies now under Gabbard’s command, confirmed last week that it has offered buyouts to encourage the resignation of volunteer staff.

Meanwhile, CyberSecurity has raised concern that Trump adviser Elon Musk and his government -efficiency department will have access to sensitive government information on intelligence operations.

Snowden, Syria and Russia

During her confirmation hearings last month, Gabbard faced the ghost of his previous defense of Snowden, a former security contractor who leaked classified documents that revealed the extent of US surveillance programs.

Snowden against criminal charges of violating the espionage law, Snowden fled in the United States in 2013 and was awarded asylum in Russia.

Some senators were noticeably frustrated by Gabbard’s refusal to call Snowden a traitor.

“Edward Snowden broke the law,” she said. “The fact is that he also – even when he broke the law – released information that exposed creepy, illegal and constitutional programs.”

Gabbard’s visit in 2017 with Al-Assad was another flashpoint. Critics accused her of lenting legitimacy and the appearance of US support for al-Assad, which has been accused of war crimes.

Her comments that cast doubt on whether al-Assad used chemical weapons against Syrians spurred additional controversy.

During her confirmation hearing, however, Gabbard defended the meeting and said she took the opportunity to push the Syrian leader on her human rights record.

“I asked him harsh questions about his own regime’s actions, the use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics used against his own people,” Gabbard said.

She also averted criticism of a previous statement saying that Russia had “legitimate security concerns” that precipitated her invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Another Trump -Sejr

In the construction of Wednesday’s vote, it was unclear whether Gabbard’s nomination would succeed.

Several Republicans, including Todd Young from Indiana, had raised concern. Young eventually came under pressure from Trump-allied like Musk, who felt him a “deep-state doll” on social media.

Musk later deleted the post and talked to Young. Afterwards, Young announced his decision to vote for Gabbard’s confirmation, and Musk published a revised message: “I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally to restore power to the people from the great, unclaimed bureaucracy. “

In the end, everyone voted except one of the Senate Republicans in Gabbard’s advantage.

Skeptics in the party said they were won by her promise to focus on the office’s core tasks: coordinate federal intelligence work and serve as the president’s chief intelligence adviser.

“While I am still concerned about certain positions she has taken in the past, I appreciate her commitment to emptying the great reach of the agency,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republic of 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 fast Senate approvals to all 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 against Trump if necessary.

“It’s an insult to people who have dedicated their lives and put themselves in harm to getting her confirmed to 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 and branded it as an “elitist kabal”.

She was independent until last year when she supported Trump and took up the Republican Party.