Former Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who was nominated by President-elect Trump to be Director of National Intelligence, met with senators at the Capitol on Tuesday, but she is not the only U.S. president like Russian President Vladimir Putin or the now-retired President Putin. He faces Republican concerns over his controversial positions, which are sympathetic to his opponents. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Incoming Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), standing next to the former Hawaii congressman after the meeting, said he expected Gabbard's nomination to “pass smoothly.”
“Our job here as a Republican conference is to get nominees through as quickly as possible,” Moreno said. “There's obviously incredible momentum.” “We feel very positive that her nomination will cross the finish line.”
But behind closed doors, Republican senators are skeptical about Gabbard's foreign policy positions and credibility in appointing her as director of the agency, which is responsible for convening 18 intelligence agencies.
Gabbard, standing next to Moreno, said she was honored to be invited to be part of Trump's team and thanked the senator for her support.
“We had a great conversation. Your home state has always been very welcoming to me. I'm so excited to see how many Americans have come together and are so passionate about the work that will begin under this new administration. “I'm really excited to see what happens,” she said.
Gabbard represented Hawaii's state legislature as a Democrat from 2013 to 2021. She left the House of Representatives after failing to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, and left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become an independent.
Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and joined the Republican Party in October.
