What Happened – One America News Network
OAN Staff Sophia Flores
5:55 PM – Thursday, January 30, 2025
As she faced her high-stakes confirmation hearing for the position of Director of National Intelligence, lawmakers from the Senate Intelligence Committee questioned Tulsi Gabbard on a wide range of issues — from her previous comments regarding Edward Snowden to Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons.
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On Thursday, Gabbard fielded questions for three hours in front of a packed audience, responding to inquiries from Senators on both sides of the aisle.
Her path to confirmation is regarded as the most challenging among President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations, given her lack of formal intelligence experience and her absence of leadership in any governmental agency or department.
Gabbard’s past remarks on Edward Snowden’s leaked documents were particularly contentious and widely debated during the hearing.
“Is Edward Snowden a traitor to the United States of America?” asked Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), emphasizing that it was not a difficult question to answer.
Despite efforts to distance herself from Snowden during the hearing, Gabbard refrained from labeling the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor a “traitor” to the U.S.
Gabbard has consistently condemned unlawful government activities and secrecy, emphasizing the need to protect American citizens from being exploited unknowingly.
“Edward Snowden broke the law,” she stated. “I do not agree with or support all the information and intelligence that he released nor the manner in which he did it. He had opportunities to approach this committee or seek the Inspector General to disclose that information. Nonetheless, even while breaking the law, he revealed information that exposed egregious, illegal, and unconstitutional programs within our government.”
Snowden, who leaked classified documents in 2013 revealing global surveillance practices by the U.S. government and its partners, took to X to urge Gabbard to denounce her previous support for him.
Another significant issue during the confirmation hearing was Gabbard’s viewpoint on who was to blame for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, especially given her background as a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard with two deployments to the Middle East.
In past statements made in 2022, Gabbard had asserted that U.S. and NATO actions were primarily responsible for provoking Russia into the conflict. However, when pressed by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) about the cause of Russia’s aggressive actions, she provided a different perspective.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin started the war in Ukraine.”
Furthermore, Gabbard was challenged regarding her 2017 trip to Syria, where she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad. This sparked controversy, particularly since former Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had also met with Assad in 2007. Lawmakers criticized Gabbard from both parties, accusing her of legitimizing a dictator.
Gabbard was also questioned about her position on “Section 702,” a proposed legislation she opposed, which aimed to repeal a critical surveillance program allowing authorities to collect communications of “suspected terrorists” overseas. At that time, she has raised concerns that the program could violate the rights of all Americans who might be inadvertently caught up in surveillance.
Now, she indicates that she supports the program, citing newly implemented safeguards designed to protect Americans’ privacy.
Gabbard emphasized her commitment to be loyal to God, her personal conscience, and the Constitution of the United States, similar to her military service. She dismissed extreme accusations of being “Trump’s puppet,” “Putin’s puppet,” or “Assad’s puppet.” Gabbard previously claimed that the Democratic strategy often resorts to manufacturing a “boogeyman,” aiming to use fear tactics to manipulate the populace, as fear makes people easier to deceive and control.
To secure enough votes for confirmation in the Senate, she requires support from nearly all Republican Senators.
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