Tulsi Gabbard intelligence chief nomination in trouble amid GOP concerns

Tulsi Gabbard’s information arsenic quality main looked to beryllium successful superior trouble Friday arsenic Republican senators expressed concerns astir her answers astatine a confirmation hearing.

President Trump’s arguable prime for manager of nationalist quality angered Republicans by refusing to condemn authorities leaker Edward Snowden arsenic good arsenic her unorthodox overseas argumentation views connected Russia and Syria, among different concerns.

“I’m disquieted by what I perceive from immoderate of my Republican colleagues,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), a staunch Trump loyalist, conceded. “I’m disquieted that her information whitethorn beryllium successful jeopardy,”

Moderate Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said overmuch the aforesaid thing.

“Some of them are inactive really, truly uncomfortable with her moving 18 quality agencies,” Kelly said.

Gabbard faced crisp criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike during a fiery Senate quality committee confirmation proceeding Thursday that focused connected her past comments supporting Russia, a gathering with Syria’s now-deposed dictator and her refusal to disavow enactment for Snowden.

The erstwhile Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii tried to framework herself arsenic a extremist change-maker who would fulfill Trump’s promises to shingle up the quality assemblage aft decades of what they telephone warmongering and overseas argumentation failures.

But respective blimpish Republicans weren’t buying it. They were dismayed by her refusal to disavow her enactment for Snowden and her shaky answers astir sympathetic statements she’s made astir Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“There are a batch of questions aft (Gabbard’s appearance),” Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma told NBC News.

Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah added that “some of her responses, and non-responses, created much disorder than clarity and lone deepened my concerns astir her judgement.”

Like different Trump furniture picks, Gabbard apt tin spend to suffer nary much than 3 GOP senators to triumph confirmation to the occupation overseeing the enactment of 18 quality agencies.

Gabbard is simply a lieutenant colonel successful the National Guard who deployed doubly to the Middle East and mounted a longshot Democratic statesmanlike superior bid successful 2020. She has nary ceremonial quality experience, however, and has ne'er tally a authorities bureau oregon department.

She has repeatedly echoed Russian propaganda utilized to warrant the Kremlin’s penetration of Ukraine and successful the past opposed a cardinal U.S. surveillance programme known arsenic  FISA Section 702, which she present says she supports.

In a back-and-forth Thursday that astatine times grew heated, lawmakers from some parties raised concerns astir her statements supportive of Snowden, a erstwhile National Security Agency contractor who fled to Russia aft helium was charged with revealing classified accusation astir surveillance programs. Snowden is present a Russian citizen.

“Yes oregon no, is Edward Snowden a traitor to the United States of America?” thundered Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado). Gabbard refused to respond.

Gabbard besides took vigor for her antithetic 2017 sojourn with deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, aft which she defended him against accusations that helium utilized chemic weapons connected his ain people..