The Trump administration is mounting an aggressive push this weekend to secure Senate support for Tulsi Gabbard‘s nomination as Director of National Intelligence (DNI), according to Axios. With the Senate Intelligence Committee vote looming, officials are scrambling to ensure Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military veteran, clears the crucial first hurdle in her confirmation process.
Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has transformed the conference’s official X account into a makeshift Gabbard “war room,” underscoring the urgency of the administration’s efforts. To advance her nomination to the full Senate, Gabbard needs to secure every Republican vote on the Intelligence Committee, though skepticism among some GOP senators threatens to derail her path. The committee includes nine Republicans and eight Democrats.
What’s The Problem? Mostly Edward Snowden
The administration’s lobbying efforts are reportedly focused on persuading Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who, along with other senators, pressed Gabbard during her confirmation hearing over her reluctance to label whistleblower Edward Snowden a “traitor.”
It seems no one has forgotten that Gabbard co-sponsored a resolution in 2020 calling for the U.S. to dismiss all charges against Snowden, who has been living in Russia since 2013 after he leaked of classified documents from the National Security Agency.
Will Trump Step In? Most Likely
President Donald Trump is apparently considering direct outreach to the committee’s Republicans to reassure them he has no intention of pardoning Snowden.
“The president isn’t really talking about pardoning Snowden, but if that’s a guarantee they want to get Tulsi confirmed, the president will have those conversations,” an anonymous senior White House official told Axios.
A member of the Hawaii Army National Guard who deployed to Iraq with a medical unit, Gabbard also supports federal legalization of marijuana. Her outspoken stances over the years, including opposing mainstream intelligence views on Russia, are now raising questions about how she would oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies with a combined budget of approximately $70 billion.
Get On Board Or You’re Out
Meanwhile, MAGA-aligned activists are warning of primary challenges against any Republican senator who opposes Gabbard. “We are 100% serious,” Turning Point Action spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said in a statement reported by Axios. “GOP senators in red states will open themselves up to well-funded, well-organized primary challenges if they stand in the way of confirming the Cabinet the president wants and the American people voted for.”
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