Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as Director of National Intelligence by the Senate with a 52-48 vote. The confirmation occurred despite bipartisan skepticism regarding her foreign policy views. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voted against her confirmation, aligning with Democrats.
Gabbard, a military veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, will now lead the Intelligence Community, which includes agencies such as the CIA and NSA. This position was established after the September 11 attacks to improve information sharing among U.S. intelligence services. The Director of National Intelligence also advises the President on intelligence matters and compiles the President's Daily Brief.
Gabbard's selection reflects President Trump's distrust of intelligence agencies, dating back to his first term. Intelligence agencies have reportedly issued voluntary resignation offers to staffers. Concerns have also been raised about potential access to sensitive government databases by Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
Gabbard's political background includes serving in the Hawaii State Legislature at age 21 and serving in Iraq with the Army National Guard. She represented Hawaii's 2nd congressional district as a Democrat from 2013 to 2021. In 2022, she left the Democratic Party, later joining the Republican Party and endorsing Trump.
Gabbard's foreign policy views have drawn scrutiny. She has described herself as a "dove" on "counterproductive wars of regime change" and a "hawk" on "the war against terrorists." She has also interacted with and defended U.S. adversaries, including Russia and Syria. During her confirmation hearing, some Republican senators expressed reservations about her stance on Snowden and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Gabbard has since stated her support for Section 702.