The Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as the new Director of National Intelligence in a 52-48 vote on Wednesday. Gabbard, a former Democratic representative from Hawaii, will now lead the country’s 18 intelligence agencies and oversee the President’s daily intelligence briefing.
The confirmation vote came after two months of debates and concerns over Gabbard’s qualifications. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was the only Republican senator to vote against her confirmation.
While Gabbard had support from President Trump’s allies, many Democrats and some Republicans questioned her judgment and experience.
Republicans, in particular, raised concerns about her views on surveillance laws, especially Section 702 of the Foreign Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. to monitor foreign targets. Gabbard had called for its repeal during her time in the House, but later indicated she would support the program after it was reformed. Additionally, her past comments on Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin also drew criticism.
During private meetings, some Republican senators, including Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), worried about Gabbard’s stance on key issues. In particular, her refusal to call former NSA contractor Edward Snowden a traitor caused frustration. However, Republican support grew in recent weeks, especially after Vice President Vance spoke with Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), helping to reassure him about her nomination.
Gabbard’s confirmation also had strong backing from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), which helped push her nomination forward. All Republicans on the Intelligence Committee voted to advance her nomination, and a final vote was set up on Monday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) praised Gabbard, calling her a patriot with years of military service. He highlighted her leadership in the U.S. Army and her eight years in Congress, where she served on key committees.
Democrats, however, strongly opposed her nomination. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued that Gabbard was not qualified for the job and criticized her for spreading Russian propaganda and questioning U.S. intelligence. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) also raised concerns, pointing to her past support for Assad and comments about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite this, Gabbard found support from Republicans who were under pressure to back Trump’s controversial nominees.
One of the key obstacles to Gabbard’s confirmation was her past stance on surveillance laws. In her final year in the House, she introduced legislation to repeal Section 702, but she later changed her position after reforms were made to the program. After explaining her shift in position to Republican senators, she gained their backing.
Senator Cotton pushed back against attacks on Gabbard’s patriotism, reminding everyone of her two decades of military service and multiple combat tours. “She has undergone five FBI background checks,” he said during her confirmation hearing.
With her confirmation, Gabbard will now take charge of the U.S. intelligence community at a time when her nomination has been highly debated.
