Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s choose to be director of nationwide intelligence, got here into her nomination listening to Thursday able to parry a volley of assaults from Democrats. However they weren’t the one ones asking the robust questions.
Quite a lot of Republicans appeared skeptical about Gabbard’s solutions to questions on NSA contractor Edward Snowden and a controversial surveillance program. Additionally they prodded her about her earlier statements on Russia, Syria and Ukraine. It was a marked distinction from the listening to of now-Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth two weeks in the past, by which Republicans heaped reward on the nominee and defended him from Democrats’ assaults.
Whereas no Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee stated outright they have been wavering on the previous Democratic lawmaker, it was removed from a bear hug. Amongst these testing Gabbard’s views Thursday have been James Lankford (R-Okla.), Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).
The dearth of enthusiasm was not a promising signal for the previous Democratic lawmaker. For weeks, Senate Republicans have stated Gabbard wanted a robust efficiency Thursday to clinch her nomination. The Senate Intelligence Committee is cut up 9-8 between the 2 events, and Gabbard will not be anticipated to choose up any votes from Democrats.
Younger, one of many three members of the panel lengthy considered as a attainable “no” on Gabbard heading into Thursday, provided up one of the direct Republican jabs. It got here after she sidestepped a stream of questions from members of each events about whether or not she thought of Snowden a traitor.
“I feel it could befit you and be useful to the way in which you might be perceived by members of the intelligence group, in the event you would a minimum of acknowledge that the best whistleblower in American historical past, so referred to as, harmed nationwide safety by breaking the legal guidelines of the land round our intel authority,” he stated.
Senators repeatedly reminded Gabbard that Snowden leaked reams of delicate U.S. intelligence that endangered the lives of U.S. spies earlier than he fled to Hong Kong after which Russia — to no avail.
Gabbard acknowledged Snowden broke the legislation however wouldn’t go additional.
Since her shock nomination two months in the past, Gabbard has confronted questions from Democrats but in addition some Republicans about her judgment, dovish international coverage views and her lack of expertise for the spy function.
Gabbard served for 20 years within the army, is an Iraq conflict veteran, and has sat on the Home Armed Providers committee, however has by no means held a job at a U.S. spy company.
Her nomination has been dogged by her previous feedback that echoed Kremlin speaking factors on NATO and the conflict in Ukraine; concern a few 2017 journey she took to satisfy with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad; and doubts she has raised about U.S. assessments of Assad’s use of chemical weapons in that conflict.
From the beginning, Gabbard set a combative and defiant tone.
In her opening assertion, she characterised lots of the allegations in opposition to her as “lies and smears,” and cited a laundry checklist of latest wrongs and failures throughout the U.S. intelligence group. She regarded up on the senators on the panel as she ticked off each — the investigation of Trump’s ties to Russia, the Iraq conflict, denials concerning the existence of controversial NSA surveillance applications, and extra — and infrequently regarded flustered when she got here underneath robust questioning later.
Gabbard tried to spin her unconventional international coverage views as proof she boasts the model of unbiased pondering that’s wanted to repair the nation’s supposedly damaged and biased intelligence system.
The Republican who provided the strongest endorsement of that pitch was Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) the chair of the intelligence committee.
“Look the place typical pondering has gotten us,” he stated in his opening assertion, citing a slew of failed U.S. wars and army interventions within the Center East that he tied to Barack Obama. “Perhaps Washington might use slightly extra unconventional pondering.”
Gabbard had her share of not-so-breezy moments with different Republicans, nonetheless.
Lankford — who has stated he would vote for Gabbard — Cornyn, and Moran every pushed Gabbard through the query and reply part of the listening to.
Moran at one level informed Gabbard he wanted to make sure that Russia wouldn’t “get a go in both your thoughts or your coronary heart” if she have been confirmed as DNI. Gabbard parried: “Senator, I’m offended by the query,” and added that if confirmed, “no nation or group or particular person will get a go.”
Lankford appeared irked by Gabbard’s deflections on Snowden.
“This can be a large deal to all people right here, as a result of it is a large deal to all people you will additionally oversee,” Lankford stated at one level. “So, was Edward Snowden a traitor?”
Collins and Younger additionally pressed her on the difficulty. Younger at one level burnished a print-out of a social media post Thursday from Snowden.
Gabbard shall be “required to disown all prior help for whistleblowers as a situation of affirmation,” Snowden wrote. “I encourage her to take action.”
The Senate Intelligence Committee tends to have extra bipartisanship than another congressional panels. Democrats and Republicans typically share hawkish views on international coverage and authorities surveillance, and committee votes are normally performed behind closed doorways.
For his half, Cornyn pushed Gabbard for extra readability on her views on the controversial Part 702 surveillance authority — which applies to foreigners’ communications but in addition sweeps up knowledge on Individuals. Gabbard, a privateness hawk whereas in Congress, in latest weeks reversed her opposition to Part 702 and stated she helps it.
However Cornyn repeatedly tried to pin Gabbard on whether or not the legislation needs to be reformed in sure methods to guard the privateness of Individuals — one thing safety hawks consider is pointless, and would cripple what they defend as their strongest spy device.
The clock ran out earlier than he obtained a agency reply.
After the open listening to Thursday, Gabbard and the senators went behind closed doorways for a follow-up session the place they may discuss freely about categorised issues. What transpires there might show decisive within the committee’s vote on Gabbard, which might come within the coming days.
Requested afterward how she was planning to vote, Collins stated that she hadn’t decided but. Moran sidestepped a query on if he would help her, and Younger stated nothing in response to questions as he left the categorised portion.
If Gabbard doesn’t safe a majority on the panel, there are different methods her affirmation will be delivered to the Senate ground. However that’s an uncommon maneuver and would ship a robust message that might sink her possibilities with these outdoors the committee.
Maggie Miller, Jordain Carney, Joe Gould and Eric Bazail-Eimil contributed to this report.
