Nearly 100 ex-national security officials express concern over the possibility of Gabbard heading intelligence community

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Nearly 100 former national security officials are criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. They have signed a letter calling for closed-door Senate hearings to review government information about her. The officials are concerned about Gabbard’s past actions, including aligning herself with Russian and Syrian officials after a trip to Syria and casting doubt on intelligence agencies’ conclusions about the Assad regime in Syria. They argue that Gabbard is the least experienced person to hold the director position since it was created in 2004. The letter calls for a careful evaluation of Gabbard’s qualifications and the effect her appointment could have on U.S. intelligence agencies and relationships with allies. Gabbard has faced previous criticism for sympathetic comments about U.S. adversaries and has been questioned on her ability to handle the sensitive role of overseeing national intelligence. Meanwhile, other expected nominees from Trump, such as Pete Hegseth for Defense, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services, and Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, are also facing controversies and scrutiny. The letter from the former national security officials highlights their concerns about Gabbard’s qualifications and potential impact on national security if she were to be confirmed for the position of director of national intelligence.

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