Tulsi Gabbard will attempt to cast her unorthodox political career as a strength at Thursday’s confirmation hearing, using her opening statement to tout her “consistent record of independence” as she vies to become President Donald Trump’s intelligence chief.
Gabbard, who served in the Hawaii Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq with a medical unit, was known for her anti-interventionist and populist politics during her time in the House from 2013 to 2021. Her career was once defined by championing progressive causes but has since pivoted to sharp criticism of Democrats.
The former 2020 presidential candidate, who dropped out and endorsed President Joe Biden, left the Democratic Party in 2022. In October 2024, she announced she was joining the Republican Party at a Trump rally in North Carolina.
“The truth is, what really upsets my political opponents is my consistent record of independence, regardless of political affiliation, and my refusal to be anyone’s puppet,” Gabbard is prepared to say in her opening statement before the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to excerpts obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The 43-year-old will highlight her experience on the battlefield and tenure as a congresswoman as helping to inform the “complex challenges our nation faces.”
“I’ve been a consumer of intelligence as a member of Congress and a member of our armed forces for over two decades. I know first-hand how essential accurate, unbiased, and timely intelligence is — to the president, to Congress, and to our warfighters — and the heavy cost of intelligence failures and abuses,” Gabbard will tell members of the panel.
Gabbard will make the case that her confirmation as director of national intelligence would help to “end the weaponization and politicization” of the intelligence community and “begin to restore trust in those who have been charged with the critical task of securing our nation.”
“If confirmed as DNI, I will fulfill this mandate and bring leadership to the intelligence community with a laser-like focus on our essential mission: ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people,” Gabbard plans to say.
While no Republican has come out against Gabbard’s nomination, multiple have privately expressed concern about her meeting with now-ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2017, her comments repeating Russian talking points, and her skepticism of the very intelligence community she is seeking to lead.
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Her shifting positions on a key government surveillance program and past support for Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor charged with leaking damaging classified information, have also been points of contention.
Gabbard will face questions from members of the panel in both a public and private session. The committee is split 9-8 in favor of Republicans, meaning if all panel Democrats oppose Gabbard, as is expected, a single GOP flip could prevent her nomination from reaching the floor.
