The White House is reportedly weighing its options as Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), faces skepticism from Senate Republicans following her confirmation hearing on Thursday.
As reported by The Hill, among the options being considered is whether to wait and see if any Republican senators publicly oppose Gabbard’s confirmation, or launch a pressure campaign like the one that helped Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth get over the hump.
The main sticking point for several GOP senators was Gabbard’s refusal to condemn Edward Snowden — the former NSA intelligence contractor and whistleblower who in 2013 leaked classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programs — as a “traitor.”
Snowden became a naturalized Russian citizen in 2022.
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Gabbard’s refusal to label Snowden a traitor puts Republicans between a rock and a hard place.
On one hand, Republicans have for more than a decade referred to Snowden as a traitor, while Snowden himself said from exile in 2023 that he had “no regrets” about leaking classified information.
On the other hand, many of the same Republicans are now defending Gabbard for refusing to do the same.
Here’s the background on Snowden’s leak:
In 2013, Snowden fled the country after removing 1.5 million classified documents about military and intelligence programs, initially traveling to Hong Kong to share some of the files with journalists and eventually seeking asylum in Russia. Snowden leaked thousands of documents that revealed a broad collection of American telephone records by the U.S. government and other secret programs, prompting a national debate about civil liberties.
During contentious confirmation questioning, Gabbard called Snowden “brave.” However, she also acknowledged that “Edward Snowden broke the law.”
As of Sunday morning, no Republican senators have said — publicly, at least — that they will vote against Gabbard.
Here’s more:
A number of Republicans emerged from Gabbard’s confirmation hearing appearing concerned and unimpressed with her answers on Snowden, government surveillance, and her communication with foreign adversaries. But no GOP senator has said flat out they will oppose her nomination.
That has left the White House and GOP allies feeling like she can get through.
…
Although Gabbard faces a tall task like Hegseth, the climb is very different for her. Most of Hegseth’s problems stemmed from personal issues, including allegations of sexual assault, that echoed what Justice Brett Kavanaugh faced in 2018.
Gabbard’s problems, by contrast, are almost exclusively policy-related. She was a Democrat for two decades and holds foreign policy views that differ from a number of Senate Republicans.
A Senate leadership aide told The Hill:
There’s no need for a plan B because plan A is going to work. No senators said they’re “no” or announced they’re opposing her. And those who have expressed further questions are getting answers.
Gabbard, a former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii and U.S. Army Reserve officer, has long-held foreign policy views counter to those of the Republican Party. She was also grilled in her hearing about her 2017 meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and her skepticism of U.S. intelligence assessments about Syria’s use of chemical weapons.
A United Nations International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Assad carried out 33 chlorine gas attacks between 2013 and September 2018 on Syrian citizens.
A source close to the Trump administration said Gabbard isn’t at that point of being replaced by another nominee. Yet, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley told The Hill:
I’m worried that her nomination may be in jeopardy. And I’m just worried about what that will mean.
As has been the case in the first two weeks of Trump 2.0, this week promises to be chock full of administration accomplishments — and a few surprises. Stay tuned.
