Tulsi Gabbard advances out of Intel Committee in boost to confirmation odds

Tulsi Gabbard passed a cardinal committee hurdle connected Tuesday, and her information volition present caput to the Senate level wherever she'll get a last confirmation vote. 

President Donald Trump tapped Gabbard, a erstwhile Democratic congresswoman, to beryllium Director of National Intelligence (DNI) successful his 2nd term. 

Some issues the nominee has been pressed connected during her confirmation process are her past gathering with erstwhile Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her erstwhile FISA Section 702 stance and her past enactment for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. 

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Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's prime to beryllium the Director of National Intelligence, arrives to look earlier the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation proceeding connected Capitol Hill connected Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, successful Washington.  (AP)

She faced questions astir each successful her proceeding past week. 

Gabbard managed to impressment immoderate Republicans connected the Senate Select Committee connected Intelligence with her answers, arsenic some Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, revealed afterward that they would ballot to beforehand her. 

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Gabbard near the Democratic Party and endorsed Trump. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., endorsed Trump's DNI nominee past period aft she announced her changed beliefs astir conception 702, a captious and arguable quality gathering tool. 

He reiterated this enactment aft her hearing. 

However, determination were remaining questions astir definite senators up until the committee's closed-door ballot connected Tuesday. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., is 1 of the lawmakers that did not disclose however helium would ballot beforehand. 

Young didn't accidental however helium planned to vote. (Alex Wong)

In a since-deleted station connected X the play prior, Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk slammed Young arsenic a "deep authorities puppet" successful respect to his uncertainty astir Gabbard. 

But the 2 seemed to spot things up connected a telephone telephone soon after.

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Musk criticized the legislator for his hesitance.  (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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A spokesperson for Young told Fox News Digital successful a statement, "Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a large speech connected a fig of subjects and argumentation areas wherever they person a shared interest, similar DOGE."

Musk besides shared connected X implicit the weekend, "Just had an fantabulous speech with [Young]. I basal corrected. Senator Young volition beryllium a large state successful restoring powerfulness to the radical from the vast, unelected bureaucracy."