Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s path to becoming the next director of national intelligence remains uncertain, with her confirmation potentially hinging on Vice President J.D. Vance’s tie-breaking vote, according to Politico.
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Gabbard’s nomination has faced resistance due to her controversial past statements and foreign associations, which have raised concerns even among some Republicans in the GOP-led Senate. While her selection is expected to advance Monday night, the final confirmation vote is set for Wednesday, leaving room for last-minute shifts in support.
Republicans are growing more confident that Gabbard will secure the votes needed for confirmation, but she can only afford to lose two Republican senators before requiring intervention from Vance. One of the key swing votes is Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), who has remained noncommittal about his final decision.
However, his office told Politico that he is likely to support advancing Gabbard’s nomination to a full Senate vote. Meanwhile, Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) are also seen as potential swing votes who could determine the outcome.
Murkowski, McConnell, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) previously broke ranks with their party last month, voting against the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. That opposition forced Vance to cast a rare tie-breaking vote—only the second time in modern history that a vice president has done so for a cabinet-level position.
“If three Republicans oppose Gabbard — and no Democrats support her, as expected — she will need Vance to break a tie to help get her over the finish line,” Politico reported. However, Vance’s availability remains a complication.
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The vice president is currently overseas attending an AI summit in France, and he is expected to travel to Munich later in the week for previously scheduled diplomatic meetings. If his vote is required, it remains unclear how quickly he could return to Washington for the crucial decision.
As the confirmation process nears its final stage, all eyes will be on the Senate’s Republican holdouts—and whether Gabbard can secure enough votes or if it will once again fall to Vance to decide the outcome.
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