Tulsi Gabbard was appointed as the next Director of National Intelligence ( DNI ) on Wednesday morning by the U.S. Senate. It was a close party-line vote 52-48, with former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky. ) voting against Gabbard.  ,
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Gabbard is the 14th Cabinet official to become confirmed by the Senate.
Despite Republicans having a 53-seat majority in the Senate, Gabbard’s assurance was not assured. Democrats invoked crazy ideas about her connections and motivations while portraying her as a possible Russian property. She has been the goal of a number of conspiracy theories in the wake of the social media fury.
Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than 20 years, has martial training and a unique view on issues relating to national security. Criticism is frequently cast in her favor of her ties to provocative figures, most notably her notorious meeting with Palestinian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017. Moreover, her remarks regarding Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine were polarizing, drawing blaze from both parties during her assurance reading.
You may hear sits and smears that concern my commitment to and love for our country, I warn the American people watching at home. Those who oppose my election imply that I am devoted to something or someone other than God, my own consciousness, and the Constitution of the United States, accusing me of being Trump’s marionette, Putin’s marionette, Assad’s puppet, a guru’s puppet, Modi’s puppet, not recognizing the absurdity of instantly being the puppet of five distinct puppet masters”, she said during her opening statement at her confirmation hearings.
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For our Guests:  , A Terrible, Horrible, No Nice, Really Bad Week for Democrats. Nice.
During the sessions, Gabbard was grilled by both Democrats and Republicans about her previous jobs. When politicians inquired about labeling whistleblower Edward Snowden as a” traitor,” a pivotal moment occurred.  ,
Despite the controversies, aid for Gabbard grew as essential Republican lawmakers, including Susan Collins and Todd Young, officially endorsed her election, as did Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska ) and Bill Cassidy (R-La ). Prior to this election, Collins and Murkowski had voted against Pete Hegseth’s validation as secretary of defense.
The Senate Intelligence Committee advanced her election to the full Senate last year with a close, 9-8 vote along party lines, indicating a possible assurance that many spectators had never anticipated. Following this, the full Senate moved her nomination forward with a 52-46 procedural vote, largely along party lines.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune argued that the intelligence community needs to refocus on its main objectives, which is to gather intelligence and provide an impartial analysis of that data. Tulsi Gabbard is” committed to making sure that that is what she is doing if she is confirmed to be DNI.” And I think she has the leadership skills and knowledge to accomplish it.
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At her confirmation hearing, Gabbard defended her qualifications, citing her military leadership and congressional service on key security and defense committees, which she said gave her a deep understanding of the nation’s challenges.
” In both roles] I was ] engaging with world leaders, in both roles being privy to highly classified intelligence”, Gabbard said. ” So I know first-hand how essential accurate, unbiased, and timely intelligence is to the president, to Congress, and to our warfighters. I am also aware of the high cost of misbehavior and intelligence misconduct.