Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma recently spoke out in defense of President-elect Donald Trump's selection of Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence. Mullin suggested in an interview that the criticism faced by Gabbard is politically motivated.
Gabbard, a former congresswoman, has a history of expressing distrust towards the intelligence community and has taken stances on Russia and Syria that some national security officials view as aligning with Russian propaganda.
Senator Mullin emphasized that Gabbard's service in the US Army Reserve demonstrates her ability to pass a background check. He described her as a true patriot of the United States and criticized Democrats for targeting her, attributing it to their dissatisfaction with her departure from the party in 2022.
On a separate occasion, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth raised concerns about Gabbard's alleged compromised position due to her relationships with Russia and Syria. In response, Senator Mullin condemned Duckworth's remarks as 'outright dangerous' and dismissed the notion that someone in the Army Reserve could be considered a Russian asset as 'ridiculous.'
The debate surrounding Tulsi Gabbard's potential appointment as the director of national intelligence highlights the political divisions and differing perspectives on national security within the US government.
