Tulsi Gabbard Faces GOP Resistance in Confirmation as Trump’s Intelligence Director Amid Syria Trip Controversy

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) disclosed that former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI) is struggling to secure enough Republican votes to be confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence. Speaking on Monday with conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, Mullin attributed the challenges to lingering controversies over Gabbard’s 2017 trip to Syria, where she met with President Bashar al-Assad.

“Tulsi went to Syria, you know, on her own,” Mullin recalled. “She got intercepted. It shouldn’t have taken place, but she did. And then there was a video released of her.” Mullin clarified that while Gabbard “did get compromised for a second,” this did not make her a foreign asset. “Her trip got compromised because the media took a picture of her and then took a video of her and released it to the public,” Mullin said. “And now they’re all saying — they’re saying that she was a Russian asset.”

Defending Gabbard’s loyalty, Mullin emphasized her service in the U.S. military, asserting that such accusations are unfounded. “I think right now Tulsi probably sets at 48 Republicans,” Mullin said, estimating her current Senate support. “There’s going to be about five that we have to work past from [voting no].”

Despite the obstacles, Mullin expressed optimism about her confirmation. “If I’m putting odds on this, I’m saying 80 to 90 percent confident that we can get Tulsi and Bobby [Kennedy Jr.] pushed through,” he said. The controversy surrounding Gabbard stems partly from her foreign policy stances. Critics, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), have raised concerns about her associations and public statements.

Over the weekend, Duckworth claimed Gabbard was “compromised” due to her Syrian trip, adding, “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check.”

Adding to the scrutiny are allegations that Gabbard has echoed Kremlin narratives, such as claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine because of U.S.-funded biolabs in the country. Fact-checkers, including the Associated Press, have dismissed such assertions, explaining that the labs are part of an international effort to prevent outbreaks and stop bioweapons, not to create them.

While Mullin remains confident in Gabbard’s eventual confirmation, her path to the position is far from certain, with questions about her past actions and alignment with U.S. intelligence policy continuing to divide opinion.