Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The Senate confirmed Director of National Intelligence (DNI) nominee Tulsi Gabbard Wednesday morning.
She was confirmed in a vote of 52 to 48, with all Democrats opposing her nomination. Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell joined Democrats and voted against confirming Gabbard
Some Republican senators once considered key swing-votes ended up supporting Gabbard, including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Utah Sen. John Curtis.
Gabbard served in the Army National Guard for more than twenty years and is currently a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard.
I will vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. While I continue to have concerns about certain positions she has previously taken, I appreciate her commitment to rein in the outsized scope of the agency, while still enabling the ODNI to continue its…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) February 11, 2025
Senators grilled Gabbard on her views of National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden during her January confirmation hearing, but Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee ultimately supported her.
The Senate voted Monday to continue her nomination process with a procedural vote. Curtis and McConnell voted in favor after neither originally endorsed Gabbard for the position.
Democratic senators tried unsuccessfully to stop her nomination, including Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner. He tweeted Monday that he was spearheading attempts to stop her nomination.
Similarly, Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff railed against her nomination Monday and called for her rejection.
While several Republicans were slow to support Gabbard, Biden and Obama’s DNIs were confirmed with bipartisan support. Some of the Republicans hesitant to support Biden’s DNI, Avril Haines, for example, ultimately voted for her.
Tulsi Gabbard believes strongly in the mission with which she’ll be tasked: keeping America safe. pic.twitter.com/7hOddSIuEh
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) February 10, 2025
Earlier in February, key senators on the committee confirmed they would support Gabbard. Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins stated prior to the committee vote she would support her nomination, citing her previous concerns about Snowden.
“In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden,” Collins said in a statement.
(L-R) US Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard speaks with Apple CEO Tim Cook as they attend a luncheon in honor of newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford also appeared to have reservations about Gabbard during her hearing, specifically regarding her refusal to call Snowden a traitor. However, he voted for Gabbard during the committee and senate-wide votes.
Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was also speculated to be a potential swing-vote, voted in favor of her confirmation. He stated in January that he would support Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and FBI Director nominee Kash Patel. (RELATED: Trump’s Picks Were Once Victims Of Deep State Abuse. It’s Why They’re Perfect For The Job)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 30: U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) questions Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, as she testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Senate Judiciary Committee delayed Patel’s committee vote.
The committee will vote to advance him to the floor Thursday, Republican Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin tweeted Monday.
