President-elect Donald Trump has named former Democratic Representative of Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard as his pick for director of national intelligence. Gabbard has been vocal in recent months about her support for the GOP leader and her decision to leave the Democratic party. But beyond partisan bickering her nomination is raising eyebrows and resurfacing questions about a controversial trip she took to Syria in 2017.
Gabbard, who was then the representative for Hawaii's 22nd District, traveled to Syria at the time to "see and hear directly from the Syrian people" impacted by the civil war in the country, she said in a blog post. However, the trip's controversy relies on a meeting she had with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Assad is not particularly known for his democratic ideals. On the contrary, his regime is backed by Iran and Russia and has been accused of killing hundreds of thousands of civilians, according to The Washington Post.
At the time, the representative said the meeting with the Syrian leader was not planned. But when "the opportunity arose to meet with him," she did so because "we've got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there's a possibility that we could achieve peace. And that's exactly what we talked about."
The meeting between the two politicians has raised eyebrows since it occurred. While it is not uncommon for members of Congress to travel abroad or meet with foreign leaders, it is rare for them to do so with leaders who are accused of committing crimes against their own people or are seen as unfriendly to the U.S., The Washington Post reports. The fact that it was seemingly spontaneous also raised eyebrows.
The meeting loomed large over her campaign as she sought the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. Four years later, having left the party and joined the Trump camp, those critiques, coupled with her lack of experience in national intelligence, are being brought up once again by her critics.
As director of national intelligence, Gabbard will oversee agencies like the CIA, FBI and the National Security Agency (NSA). She will require Senate confirmation to take the role. If she is confirmed to the role, she would manage a budget of more than $70 billion and oversee 18 intelligence agencies.
Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute, said Wednesday the trip was "an outrage at the time, and equally so today." Lister also criticized Gabbard for refusing to recognize Assad as an enemy of the U.S., saying her decision "speaks volumes about her views."
Likewise, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia), a former CIA case officer, wrote on X that she was "appalled" at Trump's decision. "Not only is she ill-prepared and unqualified, but she traffics in conspiracy theories and cozies up to dictators like Bashar-al Assad and Vladimir Putin," she wrote. "As a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am deeply concerned about what this nomination portends for our national security."
Gabbard has also been criticized for an alleged relationship with Russia, The New York Times reports. During her campaign, the Representative sparred with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said Russia was backing the Hawaii native and that she was a Kremlin favorite who was supported by its propaganda apparatus. Gabbard responded by calling Clinton the "queen of warmongers."
After Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Gabbard posted a video on social media repeating a false claim pushed by the Kremlin that the U.S. was funding biological weapons labs in Ukraine. The claim prompted Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, to say Gabbard was "parroting false Russian propaganda."
But despite the troubled past, Trump seems content with his decision, taking to social media to highlight her background as a former Democrat, saying "she has broad support" from both political parties.
"I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength," he said. "Tulsi will make us all proud!"
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