The Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence on Wednesday.
All Senate Democrats voted against Gabbard, a former Democratic representative of Hawaii, while nearly every Republican voted in favor. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was the only Republican to join the Democrats. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, also voted no, though Gabbard endorsed him for president in 2016. The final tally was 52 to 48.
Gabbard’s nomination stirred controversy because of her sharp criticism of the U.S. foreign policy establishment and “regime change” wars. Her confirmation represents a potentially major shift towards realism and restraint on the part of the second Trump administration.
“Our actions to overthrow secular dictators in Iraq and Libya, and attempts now to do the same in Syria, have resulted in tremendous loss of life, failed nations, and even worse humanitarian crises while strengthening the very terrorist organizations that have declared war on America,” Gabbard wrote in a 2016 op-ed.
Gabbard is a veteran of the Global War on Terror, having temporarily left politics to serve in the Army National Guard in 2004. She has been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait.
In 2022, Gabbard announced she was leaving the Democratic Party, citing the party’s support for anti-white racism, foreign wars, and open borders among the reasons for her departure. Gabbard joined the Republican party in October last year.
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