Nearly 100 former national security officials signed a letter criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for the director of national intelligence position. They urged the Senate to carefully evaluate Gabbard’s qualifications, citing concerns about her past actions, including aligning herself with Russian and Syrian officials. The officials also called for closed-door hearings to review any government information about Gabbard and expressed worry about her lack of experience in overseeing the National Intelligence Program.
Gabbard has faced criticism in the past for sympathetic comments about U.S. adversaries and controversial trips, including meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Majority Leader John Thune emphasized the importance of assessing Gabbard’s ability to effectively manage the country’s intelligence agencies and maintain relationships with allies.
In response, a spokesperson for Gabbard on the Trump transition team slammed the letter and questioned the signers’ credentials, accusing them of using classification as a partisan weapon and making unfounded attacks. Gabbard is one of Trump’s expected nominees facing obstacles, along with others like Pete Hegseth for the Defense Department and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services, who have each faced controversies or criticisms related to their qualifications for the positions. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz also faced allegations of sexual misconduct when he was being considered for attorney general.
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