Tulsi Gabbard confirmed as US director of national intelligence
The former congresswoman was seen as one of Trump’s most controversial picks by Republicans and Democrats alike.
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 traveled 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”.
