A gaggle of almost 100 former nationwide safety officers urged the Senate to “carefully scrutinize” former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), President-elect Trump’s nominee to function director of nationwide intelligence.
The letter raises quite a few considerations about Gabbard, a former Democratic consultant and presidential candidate, questioning her expertise stage and a collection of previous controversial feedback, in addition to a gathering with Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad.
Gabbard has come underneath fireplace for sharing views that counter the conclusions drawn by the intelligence neighborhood she would oversee by means of the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence, which coordinates among the many 18 intelligence businesses.
These views, the officers wrote, name into query “her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.”
“The Senate must carefully evaluate whether Ms. Gabbard is equipped to effectively oversee an organizational structure as unique and large as the National Intelligence Program and also the effect of her holding this position on the willingness of our closest allies to share intelligence with the U.S.”
The Trump transition staff mentioned the letter was an effort to “smear and imply things about their political enemy without putting the facts out.”
The letter factors to her Syria journey for example of Gabbard aligning “herself with Russian and Syrian officials.”
“She publicly cast doubt on U.S. intelligence reports and overwhelming public reporting that Assad carried out chemical weapons attacks against Syrian civilians, giving credence to the debunked conspiracy that the attack was staged by agents of the United Kingdom,” the group wrote in a letter organized by International Coverage for America.
They added, “In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in early 2022, Ms. Gabbard similarly released a video insinuating that U.S.-funded labs in Ukraine were developing biological weapons and that Ukraine’s engagement with NATO posed a threat to Russian sovereignty, both arguments initially used by Russia to justify its illegal invasion of Ukraine. Her sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and Assad raises questions about her judgment and fitness.”
The letter additionally encourages senators to do some consideration of Gabbard in a closed session, in order that they will weigh “all information available to the U.S. government” about Gabbard, together with her obligation to guard intelligence sources and strategies.
The letter additionally argues Gabbard lacks the standard government expertise related to these nominated for the position, calling her the “least experienced Director of National Intelligence since the position was created.”
Gabbard faces an uphill battle for assist within the Senate.
The letter’s signatories embody former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Safety John Tien, each Biden officers, in addition to figures from the State Division, Nationwide Safety Council, navy, and the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence who’ve served underneath presidents of each events.
Trump transition spokesperson Alexa Henning slammed the authors.
“This is a perfect example of why President Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard for this position. These unfounded attacks are from the same geniuses who have blood on their hands from decades of faulty ‘intelligence,’ including the non-existent weapons of mass destruction. These intel officials continue to use classification as a partisan weapon to smear and imply things about their political enemy without putting the facts out,” she mentioned in an announcement.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) additionally defended Gabbard, calling her “a decorated combat veteran trying to save America from unnecessary foreign wars and end illegal government operations against the American people—which is exactly why they voted for Donald Trump.”
“‘Experts’ are angry at this rejection of their failed consensus,” he wrote on the social platform X.
