Gabbard sheds light on Assad visit, expresses shock intelligence community showed no interest at the time

Director of nationalist quality nominee Tulsi Gabbard shed further airy connected her 2017 gathering with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a travel that has travel nether the microscope since President Donald Trump nominated the erstwhile congresswoman. 

"There is not a large woody successful the nationalist grounds astir what you and Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad discussed for truthful agelong successful January of 2017. And I deliberation there's a large woody of involvement from the American radical astir what was discussed successful that meeting. So what did you speech about? And did you property Assad connected things similar his usage of chemic weapons, systematic torture and the sidesplitting of truthful galore Syrians?" Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., asked Gabbard connected Thursday. 

Gabbard, erstwhile she served successful the U.S. House, traveled to Syria successful 2017, wherever she met with the dictator, whose authorities was overthrown years aboriginal successful 2024. The sojourn has go a focal constituent of Democrats' disapproval of the DNI nominee, arguing the sojourn casts uncertainty connected her worldview and judgment. 

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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.  (Mandel NGAN / AFPGetty Images)

"Yes, senator, I, upon returning from this trip, I met with radical similar then-Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Steny Hoyer, talked to them and answered their questions astir the trip," Gabbard, who served successful the U.S. House representing Hawaii from 2013 to 2021, responded. 

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"And rather frankly, I was amazed that determination was nary 1 from the intelligence assemblage oregon the State Department who reached retired oregon showed immoderate involvement whatsoever successful my takeaways from that trip. I would person been precise blessed to person a speech and springiness them a backmost brief. I went with erstwhile Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who had been determination galore times earlier and who had met with Assad before. A fig of topics were covered and discussed. And to straight reply your question, yes. I asked him pugnacious questions astir his ain regime's actions. The usage of chemic weapons and the brutal tactics that were being utilized against his ain people."

DAMASCUS, SYRIA - MAY 03: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, seen during the Signing of the broad programme of strategical and semipermanent practice betwixt Iran and Syria, On May 03, 2023 In Damascus, Syria. (Photo by Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images) (Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images)

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi besides met with Assad successful 2007, contempt then-President George W. Bush's disapproval of the sojourn astatine the time. 

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"Were you capable to extract immoderate concessions from President Assad?" Heinrich pressed of Gabbard. 

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to beryllium Director of National Intelligence, arrives to attest 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)

"No, and I didn't expect to, but I felt these issues were important to address," she continued. 

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"Just successful implicit hindsight, would you, would you presumption this travel as, bully judgment?" the Senate lawmaker continued. 

"Yes, Senator. And I judge that leaders, whether you beryllium successful Congress oregon the president of the United States, tin payment greatly by going and engaging boots connected the ground, learning and listening and gathering straight with people, whether they beryllium adversaries oregon friends," Gabbard said. 

Gabbard is appearing earlier the Senate Intelligence Committee connected Thursday arsenic portion of her information process to service arsenic manager of nationalist quality nether the second Trump administration.