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Tag: Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard explains why she won’t call Edward Snowden a ‘traitor’ ahead of tough committee vote

Tulsi Gabbard is seeking to assuage senators’ concerns about her nomination in a new opinion piece explaining why she thought “traitor” was too harsh a word for Edward Snowden.

Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence (DNI), did not endorse Snowden’s whistleblowing actions during her confirmation hearing, but her refusal to call him a traitor left some Republicans unsettled.

She admitted that Snowden’s release of classified information to the media “harmed our national security” but also “revealed illegal and unconstitutional government programs that conducted mass surveillance of millions of Americans’ data.”

Gabbard elaborated in a Newsweek op-ed. “Given the interest by committee members about whether Edward Snowden should be called a ‘traitor,’ here’s what I shared with the Senate Intelligence Committee in the closed session about why I do not casually throw around that term: Treason is a capital offense, punishable by death, yet politicians like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US Senator Mitt Romney have slandered me, Donald Trump Jr. and others with baseless accusations of treason.”

TOP SENATE INTELLIGENCE DEM GRILLS GABBARD IF EDWARD SNOWDEN IS ‘BRAVE’: ‘VERY TROUBLING’

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard gave testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)

“Snowden should have raised his concerns about illegal surveillance through authorized channels, such as the Inspector General or the Intelligence Committee, instead of leaking to the media,” she wrote.

Gabbard struck a different tone as a Democratic member of the House, when she introduced a resolution with former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., calling for all charges to be dropped against Snowden. She also put forth a bill that would have offered additional whistleblower protection for people like Snowden.

‘WARRIOR WHOSE VOTE CANNOT BE BOUGHT’: HUNDREDS OF VETS POUR OUT IN SUPPORT OF TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI

“If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American people would never have learned the NSA was collecting phone records and spying on Americans,” she said on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2019.

Snowden, who now lives in exile in Russia, leaked classified documents about global surveillance programs that pitted national security concerns against privacy concerns.

If confirmed as DNI, Gabbard said she would not protect those who go outside authorized whistleblower channels to leak classified information, but she would also establish a hotline directly to herself for whistleblowers.

Edward Snowden leaked classified documents about global surveillance programs that pitted national security concerns against privacy concerns. (Getty)

Gabbard added that she would institute proper oversight to protect against illegal intelligence collection programs and conduct security clearance reform to minimize access to highly classified intelligence.

She also promised to end “weaponization” of the intelligence community and pointed to the Iraq War as a prime “failure of intelligence.”

“This disastrous decision led to the deaths of thousands… And it led to the rise of ISIS, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other Islamist Jihadist groups, and the emboldening of Iran.”

TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FATE TO BE TESTED WITH KEY COMMITTEE VOTE

As a Hawaii Democrat in the House, Tulsi Gabbard had supported dropping charges against Edward Snowden. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)

During her confirmation hearing, Gabbard was also pressed on her past meetings with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, her previous Section 702 of FISA stance and her views on Russia.

While Intel Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has continued to promote Gabbard for the role. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., initially a skeptic, announced Tuesday morning he would support Gabbard’s confirmation in a committee vote after receiving written assurances about her perspective on whistleblowers.

Gabbard will likely need the support of every single Republican on the committee, assuming no Democrats vote in her favor. None of the Democratic senators have said they will vote to advance her nomination.

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She clinched support from other GOP skeptics – Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, after her hearing.

Gabbard still has not won the support of Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jerry Moran, R-Kans., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and John Curtis, R-Utah.

Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

February 4, 2025
Key Sen. Todd Young comes out in support of Trump DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., came out in support of Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI), just hours before her crucial committee vote.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the senator said, “American intelligence officers around the globe deserve our respect and support. I appreciate Tulsi Gabbard’s engagement with me on a variety of issues to ensure that our intelligence professionals will be supported and policymakers will receive unbiased information under her leadership.”

Sen. Young came out in support of Gabbard hours before the committee vote. (Reuters)

“I have done what the Framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case commitments that will advance our national security, which is my top priority as a former Marine Corps intelligence officer. Having now secured these commitments, I will support Tulsi’s nomination and look forward to working with her to protect our national security,” he added.

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Gabbard will need the support of all Republicans on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in order to advance to the floor for a confirmation vote.

That is assuming she does not get the votes of any Democrats. No Democrats on the committee have endorsed her for the role.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 4, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard confirmation fate to be tested with key committee vote

Tulsi Gabbard is set to test her odds of Senate confirmation on Tuesday as the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence considers her nomination by President Donald Trump.

Gabbard, a former Democrat congresswoman who has been tapped as the nominee for director of national intelligence (DNI), went before the committee last week. During her confirmation hearing, she was pressed about her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her previous FISA Section 702 stance and her past support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

She notably refused to agree that Snowden was a traitor during the hearing.

RFK JR SPENT WEEKEND TALKING TO KEY SENATOR WHO COULD MAKE OR BREAK HIS CONFIRMATION

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s choice to be the director of national intelligence, attends her Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing in Washington on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)

The committee will vote on Gabbard’s nomination on Tuesday, two sources familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital.

While Intel Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has continued to promote Gabbard for the role, at least one key Republican senator on the top committee is considered a potential defector on the nomination vote.

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., hasn’t said how he plans to vote in committee.

SEN TILLIS OPENS UP ABOUT ROLE IN PETE HEGSETH’S CONFIRMATION AFTER HEGSETH’S EX-SISTER-IN-LAW’S ALLEGATIONS

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., has not said what he plans to do regarding Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for DNI. (Alex Wong)

In a since-deleted post on X, Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk said Young was a “deep state puppet” in regard to his uncertainty about Gabbard.

A spokesperson for Young told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a great conversation on a number of subjects and policy areas where they have a shared interest, like DOGE.”

Musk also shared on X over the weekend, “Just had an excellent conversation with [Young]. I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy.”

DEMS DISMISS CALLS FOR APOLOGY AFTER JEFFRIES VOWS ‘FIGHT’ AGAINST TRUMP AGENDA ‘IN THE STREETS’

Lankford endorsed Gabbard last month. (Reuters)

At the same time, Gabbard has earned a number of key endorsements from Republicans on the committee.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., endorsed the nominee last month after she announced a reversal of her position against FISA Section 702.

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She also received the backing of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, after her hearing.

“Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 provides that the President shall appoint officers with the advice and consent of the Senate. Having won the election decisively, I believe President Trump has earned the right to appoint his own cabinet, absent extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, it is my intention to consent to the appointment of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence,” Cornyn said in a statement.

Moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, announced her support for Gabbard on Monday evening, saying in a statement, “After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence.”

“As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence Community. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size. In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden. I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security.”

Collins will vote in support of Gabbard. (Mark Makela)

Collins’ crucial committee vote was not a certainty, especially given her habit of bucking her party. She most recently did this on the confirmation vote for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, joining Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in voting against him.

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Gabbard will likely need the support of every single Republican on the committee, assuming no Democrats vote in her favor. None of the Democrat senators have said they will vote to advance her nomination.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 4, 2025
Gabbard gets huge endorsement from key intel committee Republican

Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, revealed her plan to support Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Monday evening.

“After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence,” she said in a statement.

“As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence Community. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size. In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden. I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security.”

RFK JR SPENT WEEKEND TALKING TO KEY SENATOR WHO COULD MAKE OR BREAK HIS CONFIRMATION

Collins said she would vote to advance Gabbard’s nomination. (Reuters)

Collins sits on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which will embark on a pivotal vote on Gabbard’s nomination on Tuesday, sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.

The Maine Republican has developed a reputation for occasionally bucking her party, most recently doing so on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation vote.

Her support for Gabbard at the committee level was thus far from certain.

SEN. TILLIS OPENS UP ABOUT ROLE IN PETE HEGSETH’S CONFIRMATION AFTER HEGSETH’S EX-SISTER-IN-LAW’S ALLEGATIONS

Collins voted against Pete Hegseth. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

She joins a handful of other committee Republicans who have already said they will vote to advance Gabbard to the Senate floor, including Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and James Lankford, R-Okla.

However, another GOP senator on the committee is still considered one to watch, as Gabbard is expected to need all of the Republican members’ votes to move forward.

DEMS DISMISS CALLS FOR APOLOGY AFTER JEFFRIES VOWS ‘FIGHT’ AGAINST TRUMP AGENDA ‘IN THE STREETS’

Young hasn’t revealed how he plans to vote. (Alex Wong)

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., hasn’t said how he plans to vote in committee. Because of this, he’s managed to garner the criticism of Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk, who recently claimed on X that Young is a “deep state puppet” in regard to his uncertainty about Gabbard. The post has since been deleted.

A spokesperson for Young told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a great conversation on a number of subjects and policy areas where they have a shared interest, like DOGE.”

ELIZABETH WARREN GRILLED RFK JR ON DRUG COMPANY MONEY, BUT RECEIVED OVER $5M FROM HEALTH INDUSTRY

Musk spoke with Young on the phone. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Musk also shared on X over the weekend, explaining, “Just had an excellent conversation with [Young]. I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy.”

While Collins’ support bodes well for Gabbard’s fate at the committee level, it also forecasts a better outlook among the full Senate, given her vote against Hegseth. If she advances to a floor vote, Gabbard can afford to lose just three Republican votes, assuming she does not get any Democratic backing.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 3, 2025
Gabbard says 9/11 likely could have been prevented if not for intelligence ‘stovepiping’

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s DNI pick, said the attack on Sept. 11 likely could have been prevented if not for government “stovepiping,” where government officials deliver intelligence directly to high-ranking officials without broadening communications.

“There’s a general consensus that there was a massive intelligence failure,” Republican Sen. Roger Wicker said during Gabbard’s hearing regarding 9/11. “This caught us all by surprise, even though the the World Trade Center had been attacked earlier. Do you think stovepipeing was a problem in our intelligence failure?”

“There’s no question about it, senator,” Gabbard said, before Wicker asked her to elaborate.

“Senator, when we looked back at the post-9/11 reporting and the post-assessments that were made, it was very clear, that there was stovepiping of information and intelligence that occurred at many levels, at the highest, but also at the lowest levels,” she said.

‘LIES AND SMEARS’: TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE’S TRUMP’S AND PUTIN’S ‘PUPPET’

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 30: 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, DC. Gabbard, a former Congresswoman from Hawaii who previously ran for president as a Democrat before joining the Republican Party and supporting President Trump, is facing criticism from Senators over her lack of intelligence experience and her opinions on domestic surveillance powers. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

“Information that was collected by the FBI, information that was collected by the CIA was not being shared. It was almost ships passing in the night where if there was an integration of those intelligence elements and information being shared, it is highly likely that that horrific attack could have been prevented,” she said.

TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED

Wicker pressed if the intelligence community could face another “stovepipe” issue in the future if plans to trim the DNI office of redundant jobs and increase efficiency, as Gabbard has said she will do, is put into effect.

A hijacked plane crashing into the World Trade Center on 9/11 (Seth McAllister/AFP via Getty Images)

“And that’s the reason, really, your position was created,” Wicker told Gabbard after she said 9/11 likely could have been prevented. “There’s been some discussion this morning, I again, have not been able to listen in, but I understand there’s been some discussion about reforming the office of DNI, to eliminate redundancy and increase effectiveness. Do you worry that in doing so, we might be getting back to the same problem that we had in 2001?”

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET

“The problem that we had in 2001, senator, remains at the forefront of my mind. And as you said, this is exactly why the ODNI was created. Given my limited vantage point not being in this seat, I am concerned that there are still problems with stovepiping that need to be addressed. And in some cases, my concern would be that unnecessary bureaucratic layers may be contributing to that problem. This is where coming in and being able to really take a fresh look, given my experience and my background, will be essential to making sure that the ODNI is accomplishing the reason why it was created in the first place,” she responded.

Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on her nomination to be US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), on Capitol Hill on January 30, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Gabbard was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after throwing her hat in the 2020 White House race.

She left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a Republican this year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign before Trump named her his DNI pick.

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She appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as part of the last leg of her confirmation process. Fox News Digital reported ahead of the hearing that Gabbard does not currently have a majority of its members’ votes, which are necessary to move to the full Senate, according to a senior Intel Committee aide.

Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

January 30, 2025
Gabbard sheds light on Assad visit, expresses shock intelligence community showed no interest at the time

Director of national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard shed further light on her 2017 meeting with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a trip that has come under the microscope since President Donald Trump nominated the former congresswoman.

“There is not a great deal in the public record about what you and Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad discussed for so long in January of 2017. And I think there’s a great deal of interest from the American people about what was discussed in that meeting. So what did you talk about? And did you press Assad on things like his use of chemical weapons, systematic torture and the killing of so many Syrians?” Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., asked Gabbard on Thursday.

Gabbard, when she served in the U.S. House, traveled to Syria in 2017, when she met with the dictator, whose government was overthrown years later in 2024. The visit has become a focal point of Democrats’ criticism of the DNI nominee, arguing the visit casts doubt on her worldview and judgment.

‘LIES AND SMEARS’: TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE’S TRUMP’S AND PUTIN’S ‘PUPPET’

Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on her nomination to be director of national intelligence, on Capitol Hill on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Mandel NGAN / AFPGetty Images)

“Yes, senator, I, upon returning from this trip, I met with people like then-Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Steny Hoyer, talked to them and answered their questions about the trip,” Gabbard, who served in the U.S. House representing Hawaii from 2013 to 2021, responded.

TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED

“And quite frankly, I was surprised that there was no one from the intelligence community or the State Department who reached out or showed any interest whatsoever in my takeaways from that trip. I would have been very happy to have a conversation and give them a back brief. I went with former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who had been there many times before and who had met with Assad before. A number of topics were covered and discussed. And to directly answer your question, yes. I asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions. The use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were being used against his own people.”

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, seen during the signing of the comprehensive program of strategic and long-term cooperation between Iran and Syria, on May 3, 2023 in Damascus, Syria. (Photo by Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images)

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also met with Assad in 2007, despite then-President George W. Bush’s criticism of the visit at the time.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET

“Were you able to extract any concessions from President Assad?” Heinrich asked Gabbard.

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“No, and I didn’t expect to, but I felt these issues were important to address,” she continued.

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“Just in complete hindsight, would you, would you view this trip as, good judgment?” the Senate lawmaker continued.

“Yes, senator. And I believe that leaders, whether you be in Congress or the president of the United States, can benefit greatly by going and engaging boots on the ground, learning and listening and meeting directly with people, whether they be adversaries or friends,” Gabbard said.

Gabbard is appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as part of her nomination process to serve as director of national intelligence under the second Trump administration.

January 30, 2025
‘Lies and smears’: Tulsi Gabbard rails against Dem narrative she’s Trump’s and Putin’s ‘puppet’

Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard slammed the Democratic narrative that she is a puppet for U.S. and world leaders, saying she is loyal to only God, the Constitution and her own conscience in her opening remarks before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.

“Before I close, I want to warn the American people who are watching at home. You may hear lies and smears in this hearing that will challenge my loyalty to and my love for our country,” Gabbard said.

“Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience and the Constitution of the United States. Accusing me of being Trump’s puppet, Putin’s puppet, Assad’s puppet, a guru’s puppet, Modi’s puppet, not recognizing the absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters,” she continued.

Gabbard appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as part of her confirmation process to serve as director of national intelligence under President Donald Trump’s second term.

TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED

Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

“The same tactic was used against President Trump and failed,” she continued of the accusations against her.

“The American people elected President Trump with a decisive victory and mandate for change. The fact is, what truly unsettles my political opponents, is I refuse to be their puppet. I have no love for Assad or Gaddafi or any dictator. I just hate al-Qaeda. I hate that we have leaders who cozy up to Islamist extremists, minimizing them to so-called rebels.”

TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’

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, DC. (Getty Images)

Gabbard was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after throwing her hat in the 2020 White House race.

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a member of the GOP this year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign before Trump named her his DNI pick.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Evan Vucci/AP)

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“If confirmed as director of national intelligence, I will continue to live by the oath that I have sworn at least eight times in my life, both in uniform, as and as a member of Congress. I will support and defend our God-given freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” she said.

January 30, 2025
Top Senate Intelligence Dem grills Gabbard if Edward Snowden is ‘brave’: ‘Very troubling’

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, grilled President Donald Trump’s DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard over her previous remarks praising whistleblower Edward Snowden.

“Until you are nominated by the president to be the DNI, you consistently praised the actions of Edward Snowden, someone, I believe, jeopardize the security of our nation and then to flaunt that, fled to Russia,,” Warner asked of Gabbard on Thursday morning.

“You even called Edward Snowden ad I quote here, ‘a brave whistleblower.’ Every member of this committee supports the rights of legal whistleblowers. But Edward Snowden isn’t a whistleblower, and in this case, I’m a lot closer to the chairman’s words where he said Snowden is, quote, ‘an egotistical serial liar and traitor’ who, quote, ‘deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life.’ Ms. Gabbard is simple, yes or no question. Do you still think Edward Snowden is brave?”

‘WARRIOR WHOSE VOTE CANNOT BE BOUGHT’: HUNDREDS OF VETS POUR OUT IN SUPPORT OF TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 30: Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Gabbard, a former Congresswoman from Hawaii who previously ran for president as a Democrat before joining the Republican Party and supporting President Trump, is facing criticism from Senators over her lack of intelligence experience and her opinions on domestic surveillance powers. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Gabbard pushed back that Snowden “broke the law” and does not agree with his leak of intelligence.

TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’

“Mr. Vice Chairman, Edward Snowden broke the law. I do not agree with or support with all of the information and intelligence that he released, nor the way in which he did it. There would have been opportunities for him to come to you on this committee, or seek out the IG to release that information. The fact is, he also, even as he broke the law, released information that exposed egregious, illegal and unconstitutional programs that are happening within our government,” Gabbard responded.

Warner is chairman of the Intel Committee. (Reuters)

In 2013, Snowden was working as an IT contractor for the National Security Agency when he traveled to Hong Kong to meet with three journalists and transferred to them thousands of pages of classified documents about the U.S. government’s surveillance of its citizens.

“I’m making myself very clear. Edward Snowden broke the law. He released information about the United States government,” Gabbard continued as she defended her position.

“If I may just finish my thoughts, Senator,” Gabbard continued, as Warner spoke over her. “In this role that I’ve been nominated for, if confirmed as director of national intelligence, I will be responsible for protecting our nation’s secrets. And I have four immediate steps that I would take to prevent another Snowden-like leak.”

Gabbard has previously lauded Snowden, including during an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in 2019.

DEMOCRATS TRASH TULSI GABBARD AFTER TRUMP TAPS HER FOR DNI POST

FILE – This June 9, 2013 file photo provided by The Guardian Newspaper in London shows National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, in Hong Kong. Snowden wrote in “an open letter to the Brazilian people” published early Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013 by the respected Folha de S. Paulo newspaper that he would be willing to help Brazil’s government investigate U.S. spying on its soil, but that he could do so only if granted political asylum. (AP Photo/The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, File)

“If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American people would never have learned the NSA was collecting phone records and spying on Americans,” she said on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast at the time.

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Gabbard appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday morning as part of her confirmation process to serve as the second Trump administration’s director of national intelligence.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

January 30, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard is missing critical GOP support to advance from Senate committee

Tulsi Gabbard doesn’t currently have enough votes to advance out of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Fox News Digital has learned.

The former Democrat representative’s nomination to be director of national intelligence (DNI) under President Donald Trump is in danger as she lacks enough Republican support on the committee, sources confirmed.

Before heading to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote, Trump’s picks all have hearings and their nominations are voted on at the committee level. Gabbard’s confirmation hearing will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday.

SCOOP: KEY GOP SENATOR WHO HESITATED ON PETE HEGSETH PUSHES KASH PATEL FOR FBI

Gabbard’s nomination could be in danger if she doesn’t get enough votes to advance. (Getty Images)

So far, no Trump nominees have failed to advance out of their respective committees.

A senior Intel Committee aide confirmed to Fox News Digital that Gabbard does not currently have a majority of its members’ votes, which are necessary to move to the full Senate.

According to the source, half of the Republicans on the coveted committee are not sold on Trump’s DNI pick.

A Senate source familiar told Fox News Digital, “Some members are undecided.”

“Not true that [they] are NOs,” they clarified.

The source confirmed that the undecided senators in question are Republicans.

‘SQUEEZED BY RISING COSTS’: DEMOCRAT JACKY ROSEN LEADS BIPARTISAN BILL TO ADDRESS CHILDCARE AFFORDABILITY

Trump picked Gabbard to be director of national intelligence. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Gabbard told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Anonymous sources are going to continue to lie and smear to try and take down the President’s nominees and subvert the will of the American people and the media is playing a role in publishing these lies. That doesn’t change the fact that Lt. Col. Gabbard is immensely qualified for this role and we look forward to her hearing.”

The senior committee aide shared that the reasons for GOP uncertainty include her previous Section 702 stance, her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and her past defense of Edward Snowden.

“It’s about judgment,” they said.

Gabbard will likely need every Republican vote to move past the committee, assuming Democrats will vote against her.

DOGE CHAIR JONI ERNST TAKES ON FOOD STAMPS IN NEW BILL TO HOLD STATES ‘ACCOUNTABLE’

Cotton is chair of the committee. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., serves as chair of the committee alongside other Republican members Jim Risch of Idaho, Susan Collins of Maine, John Cornyn of Texas, Jerry Moran of Kansas, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Todd Young of Indiana.

Lankford recently came out in support of Gabbard after she reversed her position on a controversial intelligence gathering tool known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Neither the White House nor Cotton’s office provided comments to Fox News Digital in time for publication.

Fox News Digital reached out to multiple Republican Senate offices for comment.

SENATE TO KICK OFF RFK JR, KELLY LOEFFLER CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR TOP TRUMP POSTS

Lankford said he supported Gabbard after her 702 stance changed. (Reuters)

As Gabbard’s confirmation fate hangs in the balance, there is reportedly a push by some Trump-aligned Republican senators to waive the committee’s rules in order to open the vote on Gabbard’s nomination, as Politico reported. This would mean each senator’s vote is accessible to the public.

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The Intel Committee’s rules stipulate that the vote is conducted in a closed meeting and a tally is released afterward. The vote is expected to go forward in a closed manner, in accordance with the rules.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

January 30, 2025
Dozens of former intel officials urge senators to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence

EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of top former intelligence officials are urging members of the Senate to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, saying she will “begin undoing the gross politicization that has come to characterize intelligence bureaucracies,” Fox News Digital has learned.

Former White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, Navy SEAL veteran and member of the intelligence community Erik Prince and more than four dozen other former intelligence officials penned a letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., on Monday, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.

TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’

“We, the undersigned former intelligence and national security officials, urge members of the United States Senate to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to serve as President Trump’s Director of National Intelligence,” they wrote. “Her service as DNI will begin undoing the gross politicization that has come to characterize intelligence bureaucracies, which has been to the great detriment of the freedom and security of the United States and its citizens.”

Tulsi Gabbard is a military officer with more than 20 years of service and multiple combat deployments. (Getty Images)

The officials said Gabbard’s experience “more than qualifies her for this important position.”

Gabbard is a military officer with more than 20 years of service and multiple combat deployments. She also served in the U.S. House of Representatives for eight years and served on numerous national security committees.

The officials said Gabbard was “an outspoken champion for America’s warriors and for our cherished constitutional freedoms.”

“In both these roles, she experienced first-hand how intelligence, when used as intended, provides critical support to America’s military and political leaders,” they wrote. “When intelligence was abused, Lt. Col. Gabbard spoke up and insisted on safeguards.”

The officials said Tulsi Gabbard, here with President Donald Trump, was “an outspoken champion for America’s warriors and for our cherished constitutional freedoms.” (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

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The officials said that “in contrast to the many former senior intelligence officials who politicized their profession and disgraced themselves by running misinformation operations to undermine the President of the United States—such as by signing the infamous Biden laptop ‘Russian disinformation’ letter or appearing on partisan programs to knowingly mislead the public with false claims of inside knowledge and access to classified information—Lt. Col. Gabbard stood up for truth, integrity, and following the facts.”

The officials said those are “precisely the values necessary for the leader of the intelligence community.”

“As former collectors, analysts, consumers, and enablers of intelligence, we support Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard to lead the IC,” they wrote. “She has the integrity, and moral courage, to restore objectivity and professionalism to the nation’s intelligence agencies.”

Former National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien and more than four dozen other former intelligence officials penned a letter on Monday, urging members of the Senate to confirm Tulsi Gabbard. (Eloisa Lopez/pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The letter comes as Gabbard has come under scrutiny from some senators who have been critical of her intelligence experience.

But allies of Gabbard have defended her record, and said it is critical that someone with “fresh eyes” and “without bias” lead the intelligence community. They also have argued that Gabbard knows, firsthand, the consequences of inaccurate intelligence, given her service in the War on Terror.

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“She has seen the true cost of war,” a source close to Gabbard’s confirmation process told Fox News Digital.

“It is a strength, not a weakness, that she doesn’t have direct prior intel agency experience,” the source continued. “She has been a consumer during her time deployed overseas–but not having direct agency background is a strength as she will come in with clear eyes and no bias to the intel community which needs to regain the trust of the American people and not be used as a political tool weaponized against them.”

Ric Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence, speaks in July 2024. He was another name on the letter to Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Mark Warner, D-Va. (Mike Segar/Reuters )

Gabbard’s confirmation hearing with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is scheduled to take place Thursday morning.

Trump has argued that Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights and securing Peace through Strength.”

The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters.

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Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves since 2021, after previously serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for about 17 years. She was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after she entered the 2020 White House race.

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent before becoming a member of the GOP in 2024 and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign.

Gabbard has received the support of dozens of national security officials, and in December received endorsements from more than 250 veterans, including high-profile names such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn and former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

January 28, 2025