In a recent Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Tulsi Gabbard faced intense questioning regarding her stance on surveillance and her nomination to lead the intelligence community under the Trump administration.
During the hearing, Gabbard was asked about her past calls to repeal Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Despite previously advocating for its repeal as a Democratic member of the House, she stated that reforms made to the law since then had influenced her support for it. When pressed by Democratic Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner on the specific reforms, Gabbard mentioned that there were several but did not provide detailed explanations.
Senator Warner highlighted a previous statement made by Gabbard on a podcast where she expressed that the reforms had actually made the law 'worse,' leading to further scrutiny of her evolving views on the matter.
One of the most contentious moments of the hearing arose when Gabbard was repeatedly asked to share her opinion on Edward Snowden, a figure widely considered a traitor by many in the intelligence community and across party lines. Despite direct questioning from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, Gabbard declined to label Snowden as a traitor.
Gabbard's nomination faces significant challenges, with the possibility of being blocked by a single Republican 'no' vote on the Intelligence Committee. The outcome of her nomination hinges on the decision of the committee members, with the potential for a closed hearing session to further deliberate on her candidacy.
