Republicans are warning that Tulsi Gabbard’s chances of being confirmed to lead the U.S. intelligence apparatus are diminishing, as she struggles to gain the support of key GOP senators. Gabbard, along with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kash Patel, is set to face high-stakes confirmation hearings this week, as the Senate deliberates on some of President Trump’s most contentious nominees, The Hill reported.
Gabbard faces the most uncertain path to confirmation, as she works to win over skeptical Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will decide her fate ahead of Thursday’s hearing. “I think it remains to be seen,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an Intelligence Committee member, when asked if Gabbard can win support of the panel. “I think the jury’s still out.” Another Senate Republican agreed, telling The Hill that Gabbard “has a path [that] continues to narrow.”
The former Hawaii Democratic congresswoman and current Army Reserve officer cannot afford to lose a single vote on the Intelligence Committee, which has a 9-8 Republican majority and includes two GOP senators considered swing votes: Susan Collins (Maine), who voted against another Trump nominee on the Senate floor last week, and Todd Young of Indiana.
In an interview with The Hill, Collins said she plans to question Gabbard about her position on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits warrantless surveillance of foreign targets. While Gabbard has attempted to soften her earlier criticisms of the program, Collins expressed skepticism about the sincerity of Gabbard’s apparent shift in stance.
“There are several questions I want to follow up on in the hearing,” Collins said, telling the outlet that she didn’t want to preview them all “because I want to hear her unpracticed responses” even though she expects Gabbard will be prepared for any and all questions. “But there are a lot of obvious issues,” Collins added. “Her answers to the written questions were very hedged on it. I know there’s been a lot of reporting that she’s changed her position. That’s not how I read her answers. I read them as, ‘I’ll take a look at the reforms and see if they meet my concerns.’”
As a Democratic member of the House, Gabbard introduced legislation in 2020 to repeal Section 702 and consistently voted against reauthorizing the program. However, she recently told Punchbowl News that the 702 program is “crucial” and “must be safeguarded to protect our nation while ensuring the civil liberties of Americans” in an attempted turnabout. “If confirmed as [intelligence director], I will uphold Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights while maintaining vital national security tools like Section 702 to ensure the safety and freedom of the American people,” Gabbard added.
