Tulsi Gabbard has been sworn in as the director of national intelligence just hours after the Senate voted to confirm the Samoan American politician. Gabbard is now the highest-ranking Pacific Islander official in the United States.
The GOP-majority Senate voted in favor of Gabbard, who was nominated by President Donald Trump last November. Sen. Mitch McConnell from Kentucky was the only Republican alongside Democrats to vote against the new director, per NBC.
Out of all the nominees, Gabbard’s confirmation hearings have been one of the most tense. Her perceived sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad have caused some hesitation among Republican members.
In 2017, Gabbard traveled to Damascus to meet with Assad during the Syrian Civil War. Following the meeting, “Ms. Gabbard aligned herself with Russian and Syrian officials,” according to a letter signed by a coalition of former intelligence leaders.
Gabbard also previously showed support for Edward Snowden, a whistleblower who leaked classified documents about surveillance programs, the New York Times reported.
Despite her controversies, the Senate voted 52–48 for Gabbard.
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