Concerns Raised Over Tulsi Gabbard's Nomination

Nearly 100 former U.S. diplomats and national security officials have expressed serious concerns regarding Tulsi Gabbard's nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as Director of National Intelligence. In an open letter, they criticized her alleged 'sympathy for dictators' such as Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad, citing her past actions and lack of experience in intelligence as reasons for their alarm. They called for the Senate to conduct closed-door hearings to thoroughly vet her qualifications, arguing that her history of questioning U.S. intelligence assessments could compromise her ability to provide unbiased briefings. Gabbard's critics highlight her controversial meeting with Assad in 2017 and her defense of Russian actions in Ukraine, which they see as troubling for someone in such a pivotal intelligence role. Meanwhile, Gabbard's supporters have dismissed these attacks as partisan smears against her anti-interventionist stance. The nomination has sparked a significant debate within both political parties about her fitness for the role.