November 24th 2024.
Republican senators are responding to criticism from Democrats regarding Tulsi Gabbard's nomination as the Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard, a congresswoman from Hawaii, has faced scrutiny for her previous comments in support of Russia and her secret meetings with Syrian President Bashar Assad, a close ally of the Kremlin.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois and a veteran of combat missions in Iraq, expressed her concerns about Gabbard's nomination on CNN's "State of the Union." She questioned Gabbard's ability to pass a background check, citing her 2017 trip to Syria and her relationships with America's enemies, as identified by the U.S. intelligence community.
In response, Republicans have pushed back against Duckworth's comments, with Sen. Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma calling them "ridiculous and outright dangerous." He challenged Duckworth to retract her words, stating that it is "the most dangerous thing she could say" to label a United States lieutenant colonel as an asset of Russia.
Other Democrats have also accused Gabbard of being a "Russian asset" without evidence. Sen. Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts has claimed that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir Putin's pocket. Republicans believe that these accusations stem from Gabbard's decision to leave the Democratic party and become a Trump ally.
Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who was just elected to the Senate, stated that he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but did question her judgment. He expressed concern that if foreign allies do not trust the head of the U.S. intelligence agencies, they may stop sharing information with the country.
One of the reasons for the Democrats' concern is Gabbard's endorsement in 2022 of one of Russia's justifications for invading Ukraine. Gabbard voiced concerns about the existence of U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine, which Moscow claimed were being used to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard stated that her intention was to protect the labs, but some see her comments as supporting Russia's actions.
Gabbard has also suggested that Russia had legitimate security concerns in its decision to invade Ukraine, as the country wanted to join NATO. Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt from Missouri believes that it is "totally ridiculous" to label Gabbard as a Russian asset for having different political views. He called it a "slur" and stated that there is no evidence to support these claims.
Republican Sen. James Lankford from Oklahoma also has questions for Gabbard, particularly regarding her meeting with Assad and her past comments about Russia. He wants to understand the purpose and direction of her meeting with Assad and discuss her previous statements in full context.
As the Senate considers Gabbard's nomination, there are sure to be more discussions and debates surrounding her past actions and comments. Stay informed with Colorado Politics by signing up for their weekly newsletter, The Spot.
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