Senate confirms Tulsi Gabbard as top intelligence official

Tulsi Gabbard, one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks, has been confirmed as the next U.S. director of national intelligence. 

The Senate voted 52-48 in favor of her confirmation Wednesday. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Republican leader, voted no. He was the only Republican to vote against her confirmation. 

She will take over the top intelligence post as Trump works to reshape vast portions of the federal government. Intelligence agencies including the CIA have issued voluntary resignation offers to staffers, while cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to sensitive government databases containing information about intelligence operations.

Who is Tulsi Gabbard? 

The backstory:

Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard who deployed twice to the Middle East and ran for president in 2020. She is one of Trump’s most contentious nominees.

The military veteran and former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii faced criticism that was initially bipartisan over comments sympathetic to Russia and her past support of government leaker Edward Snowden, as well a 2017 meeting with now-deposed Syrian leader Bashar Assad.

Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington,

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Democrats remained opposed to her nomination, but Republican support fell into line following a pressure campaign by Trump allies including Elon Musk.

Why is Tulsi Gabbard controversial? 

Dig deeper:

America’s intelligence-sharing allies are reportedly wary of Gabbard’s confirmation. Analysts have warned that her leadership could strain trust within the Five Eyes alliance, which includes the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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Thomas Juneau, a former strategic analyst for Canada’s Department of National Defence, cautioned that Gabbard’s confirmation could lead to selective sharing of intelligence. "This would negatively affect the Five Eyes, which is an extremely close partnership premised on an extraordinarily high level of trust," he said.

What did Tulsi Gabbard say about Edward Snowden? 

What they're saying:

Gabbard’s past praise of Snowden drew particularly harsh questions during her Senate nomination hearing. The former National Security Agency contractor fled to Russia after he was charged with revealing classified information about surveillance programs.

Gabbard said that while Snowden broke laws about the protection of classified secrets, he revealed important facts about surveillance programs she believes are unconstitutional.

What did Tulsi Gabbard say about Russia? 

Gabbard has repeatedly echoed Russian propaganda used to justify the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. 

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In the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gabbard voiced concerns about biolabs in Ukraine, which Moscow claimed were being used to create bioweapons. While she later clarified that she wasn’t accusing the U.S. or Ukraine of wrongdoing, her comments mirrored Russian propaganda and earned her praise from Russian state media.

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She has also expressed skepticism about U.S. support for Ukraine, calling it antagonistic toward Russia. 

The other side:

Critics have said her views could compromise U.S. intelligence operations. 

"Do you really want her to have all of the secrets of the United States and our defense intelligence agencies when she has so clearly been in Putin’s pocket?" Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said on MSNBC in November. 

What does the Director of National Intelligence do? 

Gabbard will oversee 18 intelligence agencies, including the CIA and NSA, and serve as the president’s principal intelligence adviser.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created to address intelligence failures exposed by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Republicans have increasingly criticized the office, saying it has grown too large and politicized. Trump himself has long viewed the nation’s intelligence services with suspicion.