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Nearly 100 former national security officials have signed a letter criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and are calling for closed-door Senate hearings to review any government information about her. In the letter, the officials express concerns about Gabbard’s past actions, including aligning herself with Russian and Syrian officials and making sympathetic comments about U.S. adversaries. They argue that Gabbard, if confirmed, would be the least experienced person to hold the director position since it was created in 2004.
The letter also calls for a careful evaluation of Gabbard’s qualifications to effectively oversee the National Intelligence Program and considers the impact of her holding this position on the willingness of U.S. allies to share intelligence. The letter, addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Majority Leader John Thune, emphasizes the importance of confirming nominees who are well-equipped for the responsibilities of their positions.
In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for Gabbard on the Trump transition team slammed the letter, accusing the signers of using classification as a partisan weapon to smear and imply things about their political enemy without putting out the facts. Gabbard is just one of Trump’s expected nominees facing headwinds, including Pete Hegseth for the Defense Department and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Department of Health and Human Services. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general, also faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
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