Gabbard says 9/11 likely could have been prevented if not for intelligence 'stovepiping'

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's DNI pick, said the onslaught connected Sept. 11 apt could person been prevented if not for authorities "stovepiping," wherever authorities officials present quality straight to high-ranking officials without broadening communications. 

"There's a wide statement that determination was a monolithic quality failure," Republican Sen. Roger Wicker said during Gabbard's proceeding regarding 9/11. "This caught america each by surprise, adjacent though the the World Trade Center had been attacked earlier. Do you deliberation stovepipeing was a occupation successful our quality failure?"

"There's nary question astir it, senator," Gabbard said, earlier Wicker asked her to elaborate. 

"Senator, erstwhile we looked backmost astatine the post-9/11 reporting and the post-assessments that were made, it was precise clear, that determination was stovepiping of accusation and quality that occurred astatine galore levels, astatine the highest, but besides astatine the lowest levels," she said. 

'LIES AND SMEARS': TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE'S TRUMP'S AND PUTIN'S 'PUPPET'

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to beryllium Director of National Intelligence, testifies during her confirmation proceeding earlier the Senate Intelligence Committee successful the Dirksen Senate Office Building connected January 30, 2025 successful Washington, DC. Gabbard, a erstwhile Congresswoman from Hawaii who antecedently ran for president arsenic a Democrat earlier joining the Republican Party and supporting President Trump, is facing disapproval from Senators implicit her deficiency of quality acquisition and her opinions connected home surveillance powers. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

"Information that was collected by the FBI, accusation that was collected by the CIA was not being shared. It was astir ships passing successful the nighttime wherever if determination was an integration of those quality elements and accusation being shared, it is highly apt that that horrific onslaught could person been prevented," she said. 

TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED

Wicker pressed if the quality assemblage could look different "stovepipe" contented successful the aboriginal if plans to trim the DNI bureau of redundant jobs and summation efficiency, arsenic Gabbard has said she volition do, is enactment into effect. 

A hijacked level crashing into the World Trade Center connected 9/11 (Seth McAllister/AFP via Getty Images)

"And that's the reason, really, your presumption was created," Wicker told Gabbard aft she said 9/11 apt could person been prevented. "There's been immoderate treatment this morning, I again, person not been capable to perceive in, but I recognize there's been immoderate treatment astir reforming the bureau of DNI, to destruct redundancy and summation effectiveness. Do you interest that successful doing so, we mightiness beryllium getting backmost to the aforesaid occupation that we had successful 2001?"

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET

"The occupation that we had successful 2001, senator, remains astatine the forefront of my mind. And arsenic you said, this is precisely wherefore the ODNI was created. Given my constricted vantage constituent not being successful this seat, I americium acrophobic that determination are inactive problems with stovepiping that request to beryllium addressed. And successful immoderate cases, my interest would beryllium that unnecessary bureaucratic layers whitethorn beryllium contributing to that problem. This is wherever coming successful and being capable to truly instrumentality a caller look, fixed my acquisition and my background, volition beryllium indispensable to making definite that the ODNI is accomplishing the crushed wherefore it was created successful the archetypal place," she responded. 

Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee proceeding connected her information to beryllium US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), connected Capitol Hill connected January 30, 2025, successful Washington, DC. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Gabbard was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 predetermination cycle, serving arsenic a Democrat until 2021. She did not question re-election to that bureau aft throwing her chapeau successful the 2020 White House race. 

She near the Democratic Party successful 2022, registering arsenic an independent, earlier becoming a Republican this twelvemonth and offering her afloat endorsement of Trump amid his statesmanlike run earlier Trump named her his DNI pick.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

She appeared earlier the Senate Intelligence Committee connected Thursday arsenic portion of the past limb of her confirmation process. Fox News Digital reported up of the hearing that Gabbard does not presently person a bulk of its members' votes, which are indispensable to determination to the afloat Senate, according to a elder Intel Committee aide. 

Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson contributed to this report.