Tulsi Gabbard Confirmation in Jeopardy as Republicans Raise Alarm

Tulsi Gabbard's nomination for director of national intelligence remains on shaky ground after Thursday's hearing failed to win over key Republican senators.

Newsweek has contacted Gabbard's office for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Gabbard is one of several Trump administration picks that have received scrutiny. The former Democratic representative's nomination to a top national security role has been criticized over allegations that she helped spread Russian propaganda and expressed apparent sympathy toward dictators.

What to Know

There were already questions about whether Gabbard's nomination would be approved before her grilling at Thursday's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley said he was "worried" that Gabbard may not survive the nomination process, while Utah Senator John Curtis raised concerns about some of her answers hindering his support.

As the GOP holds a one-seat majority on the Intelligence Committee, Gabbard will need the backing of all Republican senators on the panel before her nomination moves to the Senate floor.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Todd Young of Indiana, and Jerry Moran of Kansas are among those who could derail Gabbard's nomination by voting to block her confirmation.

With the GOP holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Gabbard can afford only three Republican defections for confirmation—assuming all Democrats vote against her. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth barely secured his confirmation after Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote in a 50-50 split.

The three Republicans who voted against Hegseth—Collins, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—are all considered potential GOP defections if Gabbard's confirmation reaches the Senate floor.

During Thursday's hearing, Gabbard was pressed to condemn Edward Snowden, who leaked classified materials in 2013 revealing that NSA surveillance techniques were being used against U.S. citizens on a mass scale.

Gabbard largely sidestepped the question when Oklahoma Senator James Lankford asked if she believed Snowden was a "traitor."

Senator Young also said it was "notable" that Gabbard didn't acknowledge that Snowden caused "tremendous damage to national security" when he asked her to do so on Thursday.

Lankford, who is believed to support Gabbard, later told reporters he was "surprised" that she refused to call Snowden a traitor, adding that it "wasn't intended to be a trick question."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told The Hill that it appeared Lankford and Young were unimpressed with Gabbard's answers on Snowden. When asked about her chances of confirmation, Thune said: "Everybody is going to come to their own conclusions. There were issues she had to deal with and address. We'll see how it goes."

Curtis also told The Dispatch that some of Gabbard's answers "created more confusion than clarity" and only "deepened" his concerns about her suitability for the role.

Collins told reporters she was "happy" with Gabbard's answers, including her statement that she would not support a pardon for Snowden.

Collins was said to be undecided on Gabbard over her previously negative views on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The legislation allows the federal government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign individuals located outside the U.S. who may pose national security risks.

Polymarket, an online platform where users bet on the likelihood of world events, currently gives Gabbard a 49 percent chance of being confirmed.

What People Are Saying

Utah Senator John Curtis, speaking to The Dispatch: "With Ms. Gabbard, I have said that it was like having a sheet of music that was missing notes. I had hoped that listening to the hearing today, she would fill in those gaps. Frankly, there are still many notes missing, and a number of sour notes and awkward silences that simply don't ring true as a political philosophy on critical national security issues. I leave today's hearing with more questions than answers. Some of her responses, and non-responses, created more confusion than clarity and only deepened my concerns about her judgment and what that will mean in this vital role."

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, speaking to Fox News on Thursday: "I have to tell you, I'm worried by what I hear from some of my Republican colleagues. I'm worried that her nomination may be in jeopardy. And I'm just worried about what that will mean."

Texas Senator John Cornyn, posting on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday: "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."

Tulsi Gabbard, in her opening statement at Thursday's hearing: "You will hear lies and smears that challenge my loyalty to and love for our country. 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. I have no love for Assad or any dictator."

Political analyst and Dillard University professor Robert Collins told Newsweek: "She [Gabbard] is probably the most vulnerable of all the Trump nominees. It will come down to the moderate Republicans like Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. The same Republicans that had issues with Pete Hegseth have issues with Gabbard, and of course, Hegseth just barely made it through with a 50-50 vote. I think if she keeps Cassidy, she will be confirmed. If she loses Cassidy, then she's in trouble. Right now, she appears headed for a very narrow but successful confirmation vote."

What Happens Next

The Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to vote soon on whether to proceed with Gabbard's confirmation.