President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, faced fresh scrutiny on Capitol Hill regarding her visit to war-torn Syria in 2017. Gabbard, a Democrat-turned-Republican and Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel, reiterated her support for Trump's America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military presence overseas.
Trump's Cabinet and administrative choices are causing division among Republican allies and concern among Democrats. Nominees like Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth are preparing for potentially contentious confirmation hearings next year.
Despite concerns about qualifications and criticisms, Trump's team dismisses the backlash as political smears. Former senior U.S. diplomats and officials have called for closed-door hearings to review Gabbard's background.
Gabbard's visit to Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad during the civil war raised eyebrows, with some viewing it as legitimizing a leader accused of war crimes. Gabbard defended the trip as a means to open dialogue, shaped by her military deployments and experiences with terrorism.
The nearly 100 former officials expressed alarm over Gabbard's nomination to oversee U.S. intelligence agencies, citing concerns about her ability to provide unbiased intelligence briefings.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, established after 9/11, coordinates the nation's intelligence agencies and advises the president on intelligence matters.
