WASHINGTON (AP) — As an unconventional decide to guide the nation’s intelligence service, Tulsi Gabbard confronted a barrage of questions about her previous feedback on Syria, Russia, overseas surveillance and President Donald Trump at her affirmation listening to Thursday.
The previous Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii is Trump’s nominee to be the following director of nationwide intelligence, a job created after the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults that oversees and coordinates the work of greater than a dozen intelligence businesses.
Gabbard, a lieutenant colonel within the Nationwide Guard who served two excursions within the Center East, has alarmed some intelligence and nationwide safety officers within the U.S. and elsewhere with feedback sympathetic to Russia and authorities leaker Edward Snowden, in addition to her previous opposition to a crucial surveillance program.
Right here’s a have a look at Gabbard in her personal phrases:
On Russia and Ukraine
Gabbard has repeated Russia’s arguments about its invasion of Ukraine, suggesting Moscow had justification to ship troops into the neighboring nation. She additionally endorsed Russian claims that the U.S. and Ukraine have been concerned in harmful organic analysis earlier than the conflict.
She has criticized the federal government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “corrupt autocracy” and has expressed sympathy for Russia’s place, given Ukraine’s need to hitch NATO, the Western navy alliance.
“This conflict and struggling might have simply been averted if Biden Admin/NATO had merely acknowledged Russia’s reliable safety issues,” she posted on Twitter at first of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Quickly after the conflict started, Russian state media superior the false declare that the U.S. was concerned in clandestine bioweapons analysis in Ukraine. The conspiracy principle relied on the existence of U.S.-funded labs that weren’t secret and have been concerned in conventional public well being analysis and efforts to forestall pandemics.
Gabbard didn’t make that distinction when she instructed that the labs might “launch and unfold lethal pathogens” — echoing related Russian conspiracy theories in regards to the labs.
“These labs have to be shut down instantly, and the pathogens that they maintain have to be destroyed,” she mentioned. Her feedback drew a pointy rebuke from lawmakers, together with some Republicans, who mentioned she was parroting Russian propaganda.
Gabbard later mentioned she had solely been referring to conventional public well being analysis, and never secret biolabs. However her feedback have been taken critically in Russia, the place the state-controlled media has typically praised Gabbard. One article final 12 months known as her “superwoman.”
Gabbard on Thursday rejected claims that she had unfold pro-Russian views: “I don’t take note of Russian propaganda.”
Requested by Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas if she would give Russia “a cross” if confirmed, she responded defiantly.
“Senator, I’m offended by the query as a result of my sole focus, dedication and accountability is about our personal nation, our personal safety and the pursuits of the American folks,” she mentioned.
“No nation, group or particular person will get a cross,” Gabbard added.
On Edward Snowden
Gabbard has repeatedly praised Snowden, a former Nationwide Safety Company contractor who fled to Russia after he was charged in 2013 with illegally exposing authorities surveillance strategies. Thought-about a traitor by many safety officers, Gabbard known as him a “courageous whistleblower” and as a lawmaker sponsored laws to pardon him.
Snowden acquired Russian citizenship in 2022.
“If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American folks would by no means have discovered the NSA was accumulating telephone information and spying on People. As president, I’ll defend whistle-blowers who expose threats to our freedom and liberty,” Gabbard wrote on social media in 2019, when she was operating for the Democratic nomination.
Gabbard refused to reply immediately when Republican and Democratic senators requested Gabbard whether or not she would now label Snowden a traitor, resulting in a few of the most contentious exchanges throughout Thursday’s listening to.
She mentioned that whereas Snowden revealed vital information about surveillance applications she believes are unconstitutional, he violated guidelines about defending labeled secrets and techniques. “Edward Snowden broke the legislation,” she repeated a number of occasions.
Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, pressed Gabbard: “Sure or no, is Edward Snowden a traitor to america of America?”
“As somebody who has served in uniform in fight, I perceive how crucial our nationwide safety is,” she mentioned in response.
On Syria and visits with Assad
Gabbard traveled to Syria in 2017 to satisfy with then-President Bashar Assad, a go to that angered lawmakers from each events who mentioned she helped legitimize an accused conflict prison and key ally of Russia and Iran.
Gabbard has defended the journey and her perception that assembly with adversaries can lead to dialogue and peace. Assad fled Syria in December after being ousted following his nation’s brutal civil conflict.
“When the chance arose to satisfy with him, I did so as a result of I felt that it’s vital that if we profess to really care in regards to the Syrian folks, about their struggling, then we’ve bought to have the ability to meet with anybody that we have to if there’s a risk that we will obtain peace,” Gabbard advised CNN on the time.
On Thursday, she mentioned U.S. leaders shouldn’t be averse to assembly with all types of individuals to study and hear and that she “requested him robust questions on his personal regime’s actions.”
“I shed no tears for the autumn of the Assad regime, however at present we have now an Islamist extremist who’s now in command of Syria,” she mentioned.
Gabbard additionally was pressed about feedback she made in 2017 when she mentioned she was “skeptical” that Assad’s regime used banned chemical weapons to strike his personal folks, regardless of that being the repeated conclusion of U.S. authorities and impartial analysts.
“I’ve not seen that impartial investigation happen and that proof introduced displaying precisely what occurred and there are a variety of theories of precisely what occurred that day,” Gabbard mentioned of Assad’s assault throughout a CNN look in 2017.
Following Assad’s ouster, Gabbard has echoed Trump, who has mentioned Assad fell as a result of Russia pulled its assist throughout its conflict in Ukraine, a battle Trump has mentioned he hopes to resolve.
“I stand in full assist and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made,” she advised reporters in December. “My very own views and experiences have been formed by my a number of deployments and seeing firsthand the price of conflict.”
On authorities surveillance
As a member of Congress, Gabbard tried to repeal a surveillance program used to spy on suspected terrorists and overseas brokers abroad — a program she now says she helps.
This system, generally known as Part 702 of the International Intelligence Surveillance Act, permits the U.S. authorities to gather and not using a warrant the communications of non-People situated exterior the nation for the aim of gathering overseas intelligence. Nationwide safety officers say 702, which was first licensed in 2008, has saved lives by stopping terror assaults, whereas additionally serving to the federal government keep forward of overseas cyberattacks or espionage.
Gabbard launched laws in 2020 that might have repealed the legislation, which she mentioned made it too straightforward to acquire the personal communications of People and not using a warrant.
“Safety of our civil liberties is crucial,” she mentioned about her invoice, which didn’t cross. “Be a part of us in ensuring that our constitutional rights are upheld.”
Her opposition has involved lawmakers from each events who mentioned it could be a legal responsibility for her nomination as intelligence chief.
Gabbard now says she helps Part 702 and has known as it a “essential” and “important” intelligence software. She mentioned her view modified after Congress added protections to the legislation.
“My actions and laws in Congress have been finished to attract consideration to the egregious civil liberties violations that have been occurring at the moment,” she mentioned Thursday, including that as director of nationwide intelligence, she would work to steadiness safety wants with constitutional rights.
On her assist for Trump
Gabbard’s loyalty to Trump represents an about-face from just some years in the past, when she ran for president as a Democrat and ended up endorsing her social gathering’s 2020 nominee, Joe Biden.
In 2019, she voted “current” throughout Trump’s first impeachment listening to, however whereas she declined to vote to question, she rebuked his conduct as president, saying he had “violated public belief.”
“There is no such thing as a query in my thoughts that Donald Trump is unfit to function president and commander in chief. I’ve mentioned this over and over,” Gabbard mentioned in 2019.
On Thursday, she mentioned his election is a chance to overtake the intelligence neighborhood, which she mentioned had grow to be politicized throughout investigations into Trump.
“The American folks elected Donald Trump as their president not as soon as however twice, but the FBI and intelligence businesses have been politicized by his opponents to undermine his presidency and falsely painting him as a puppet of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” she mentioned. “President Trump’s reelection is a transparent mandate from the American folks to interrupt this cycle of failure.”
Gabbard was a Democrat when she served in Congress, representing her residence state of Hawaii. In 2022, she turned an impartial, saying the Democratic Get together was dominated by an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and “woke” ideologues.
She subsequently campaigned for a number of high-profile Republicans and have become a contributor to Fox Information.
