Republicans were on Capitol Hill sounding concerns about the need to approve President-elect Donald Trump’s national security team, and those concerns have only grown louder since the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans by an ISIS-loving maniac.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is one of those voices calling for quick approval from Trump’s hand-picked team:
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the senseless terrorist attack in New Orleans. Amid reports of ISIS inspiration, the American people expect clear answers from the government. The threat posed by ISIS will outlast this administration, and this is a clear example of why…
– Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) January 2, 2025
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the senseless terrorist attack in New Orleans. Given reports of ISIS inspiration, the American people expect clear answers from the government. The threat posed by ISIS will outlast this administration, and this is a clear example of why the Senate must deploy President Trump’s national security team as quickly as possible.
Despite the majority leader’s desire to move quickly on confirmations, his Democratic colleagues reportedly have one different plan in mind: stable. Your first destination? Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is apparently “Burges” Republicans’ insistence that Gabbard’s confirmation hearings be held early next week so she can be confirmed before Inauguration Day. Warner said Gabbard failed to provide full vetting documents to the Senate within the seven-day window before the hearing, something Republicans dispute.
Of the Trump nominees, Gabbard may have struggled the most. Some on the left say she is a “cult member,” others claim she is “compromised.” Here’s RedState’s Streiff on Gabbard’s nomination:
Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearing should focus on whether she has the intellect and character to effectively lead the U.S. intelligence community. Insults about their compromise or their religion are taboo. The fact that the Biden-Harris administration placed her on a “watch list” is more of an indictment of the process that did it than any reflection on her. Yes, she has some tough questions to answer about her vocal defense of Iran, her meeting with Syria’s Assad and some other statements, but none of that justifies calling her compromised.
The criticism leveled at Gabbard prompted over 250 veterans to release a letter of support for her nomination, in which the signatories argued: “Tulsi is a fearless and principled Congresswoman who has pushed back against entrenched political systems. We know her as a veteran – one whose worldview was formed through deployment to combat zones and a lifelong dedication to service.”
Gabbard’s hearings may be tough to move forward with Democrats hesitant, but Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AK) fully “intends to hold these hearings prior to Inauguration Day. The Intelligence Committee, nominees and transition are working diligently toward this goal.”
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