Tulsi Gabbard, former Representative from Hawaii, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S., on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Launched in 1974, the Conservative Political Action Conference is the largest gathering of conservatives in the world. Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images
After President-elect Donald Trump selected Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, as his nominee for the director of national intelligence, national security experts have voiced alarm at the pick.
Gabbard, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, has long criticized U.S. foreign policy.
Trump says Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit” to the intelligence agencies and work for “peace through strength.”
Gabbard said she joined the Republican Party “because of President Trump’s leadership and how he has been able to transform the Republican Party, bringing it back to the party of the people and the party of peace.”
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Gabbard and John Ratcliffe, who will lead the CIA, will oversee 18 spy agencies and be responsible for the President’s daily brief and intelligence summary.
In his first term, Trump did not typically read his intelligence summary but did have weekly intelligence meetings.
National security experts immediately raised concerns about Gabbard’s nomination.
“These are extraordinarily serious jobs. It’s why the Senate has an advice and consent process. I have a lot of questions,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and the outgoing chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Gabbard left the Democratic Party after a failed presidential run in 2020.
Gabbard helped Trump prepare for his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Gabbard is a Samoan American who represented a district in Hawaii in Congress from 2013 to 2021. She frequently criticized the Obama administration’s intervention in Syria during that time.
In her 2020 campaign, Gabbard was accused of being backed by Russia by Hillary Clinton.
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