Former Democratic Congressperson Tulsi Gabbard kicked off her bid to win Senate support as America’s new top spy on Monday by wooing a key demographic: Republican defense hawks.
The recent MAGA convert and longtime anti-interventionist held one-on-one meetings on Monday with four muscular advocates of American foreign policy. She started the day by having breakfast with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). Later, she met with Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) behind closed doors.
Those meetings marked Gabbard’s first visit to the Hill since Donald Trump nominated her to be the next Director of National Intelligence, and appeared to signal her strategy for winning Senate support for her surprise nomination to a key national security post.
After her meeting with Lankford, Gabbard also briefly stepped outside the senator’s office to address the stunning overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government. The lightning advance of Syrian rebel groups this weekend surfaced what many believe is Gabbard’s biggest weakness — a secret trip she took in 2017 to meet with al-Assad, who has used chemical weapons repeatedly in the war.
“I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now,” she said. “I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days, with regards to the developments in Syria.”
On Saturday, Trump posted on his Truth Social account that “Syria is a mess” and “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.”
Gabbard is expected to face stiff resistance in the Senate Intelligence Committee not just for the Syria trip. She lacks formal experience in the U.S. intelligence community, and has espoused dovish views about Russia and the war in Ukraine that her critics note mirror Kremlin propaganda.
She nonetheless holds a top secret clearance.
While her fate is unclear, Gabbard appeared to make promising inroads Monday. Ernst called her a “strong and proven leader” in a post on X. Rounds, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, posted that the two had “an excellent first meeting.”
Tom Cotton, another member of the intelligence panel, also put out a message on X that bodes well for Gabbard.
“Of the 72 cabinet secretary nominees since the Clinton transition, only 2 nominees have ever received NO votes from the president-elect’s party,” he wrote. “No one should be surprised that the Republican Senate will confirm President Trump’s nominees.”