The National Sheriff’s Association urged the Senate on Monday to quickly confirm <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tulsi-gabbard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsi Gabbard</a> as Director of National Intelligence, saying she had the organization’s complete endorsement.  
In a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/National-Sheriffs-Letter-Endorsing-Tulsi-Gabbard.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), National Sheriff’s Association President Kieran Donahue, a sheriff from Idaho, wrote that the Senate should “expeditiously” move to confirm Gabbard, saying her confirmation was needed to increase trust between local law enforcement and the intelligence community. The association represents more than 3,000 sheriffs across the country. 
“Ms. Gabbard has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the critical disconnect between our intelligence agencies and local law enforcement in preparing for sophisticated and pervasive threats,” Donahue wrote to Cotton, who heads up the Select Committee on Intelligence. 
He wrote that the need for cooperation was on display when sheriffs in Texas and Georgia played a significant role in the investigation into the New Orleans terror attack that left 14 people dead. 
“The recent terror attack on New Orleans serves as a stark reminder of the need for seamless coordination. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, actionable leads provided by Sheriffs in Harris County, Texas, and Fulton County, Georgia, proved instrumental,” Donahue said. “These events, like the attacks of 9/11, underscore the urgent need for local law enforcement to have a seat at the table during strategic planning discussions. Ms. Gabbard has pledged to make this a priority.&#8221;
The Idaho sheriff also said Gabbard’s previous government experience and leadership in the U.S. Army Reserve made “her uniquely qualified for this critical role. Her proven ability to lead and her deep understanding of national security threats have earned the confidence and respect of Sheriffs across the country.”
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Hearings for several of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks will begin this week, starting with Pete Hegseth&#8217;s meeting with the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday morning. Gabbard’s hearing has not yet been scheduled but could be set for sometime next week. 
Gabbard <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-barrasso-republican-senate-whip-tulsi-gabbard-confirmation-hearing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS News on Monday that she is &#8220;focused on continuing to meet with senators as we continue to go through this process” and working “closely” with Cotton to get a hearing scheduled. 
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), the Senate majority whip, told CBS that he expected GOP support.
&#8220;She continues to have promotions in the military. She&#8217;s a lieutenant colonel. She now has top level security clearances,&#8221; Barrasso said. &#8220;She&#8217;s the right person to keep America secure and safe.&#8221;

President-Elect Trump’s Nominees For Upcoming Administration Continue Meeting With Lawmakers On Capitol Hill

National Sheriff’s Association Urges Senate To Quickly Confirm Tulsi Gabbard

Congress

Director of National Intelligence

Law Enforcement

National Intelligence

National Security

Politics

Tom Cotton

Tulsi Gabbard

U.S. Senate

Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) signaled during an interview on Sunday that after some hesitation, he has now firmly decided to back former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to be President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s Director of National Intelligence.
Lankford made the remarks during an interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; with Kristen Welker when confronted over his previous concerns about where Gabbard stood on the issue of FISA Section 702, a &#8220;critical intelligence collection authority that enables the Intelligence Community (IC) to collect, analyze, and appropriately share foreign intelligence information about national security threats,&#8221; according to the U.S. government.
When asked if Gabbard&#8217;s assurances were enough for him and whether he was now a &#8220;yes&#8221; on her being confirmed to the position, Lankford responded: &#8220;Yeah, I am.&#8221;
&#8220;And that was a very important piece for me,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Obviously she voted against 702 authority. And just to clarify that, that authority is for actually trying to be able to track terrorists overseas. That has nothing to do with American citizens or anything that&#8217;s happening in the United States. It is if someone&#8217;s planning to attack us overseas, we find out about that.&#8221;
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&#8220;That&#8217;s what 702 authority allows us to be able to do,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It is to be able to track international individuals overseas before they come and actually attack us. She voted against that in the House when she was a member of the House of Representatives and then said she wanted changes. She&#8217;s now coming in and saying, &#8216;Those changes have been done.&#8217; Because even since she was in Congress, there have been quite a few changes that we&#8217;ve made in Congress to make sure we&#8217;re protecting the civil rights of Americans.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senator Lankford is a YES on <a href="https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TulsiGabbard</a> for DNI! ✅ 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/JHHMQofh5c">pic.twitter.com/JHHMQofh5c</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1878462995522572701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>

Screen Shot 2022-04-15 at 12.30.10 PM

Sen. Lankford Signals Support For Tulsi Gabbard Ahead Of Confirmation Hearings

James Lankford

Partisan politics in Washington, D.C., apparently stops at the weight room.
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma says he got to know Tulsi Gabbard at the gym when they both served in the House of Representatives. At the time, Mullin was still a Republican and Gabbard was a Democrat, but the respect they built for each other in the weightroom bridged the political divide. 
The pair have remained close friends ever since. Mullin is now a senator and Gabbard, who joined the Republican Party in October, is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next director of national intelligence. 
As a senator, Mullin is in a key position to help boost his friend into the position of director of national intelligence, a role that Gabbard is well-qualified to hold, Mullin says in a new video alongside Gabbard.
“You know, Tulsi has been getting unfairly tagged as someone not qualified to be the director of national intelligence, and I laugh because if you know this girl, first of all, she&#8217;s extremely intimidating. [She] used to work out with me every single morning, and she ran us into the ground,” Mullin said, recalling their days in the gym.
“When you start looking at her background, she served four terms in the United States House of Representatives – I don&#8217;t know if that&#8217;s a bragging point, but we&#8217;ll still talk about it – twenty-two years in the service, combat veteran, lieutenant colonel right now, and she&#8217;s currently over the reserve unit in Oklahoma and Missouri. I don&#8217;t know what [other] qualifications you need,” Mullin said. 
“I mean, you&#8217;re not Pete Buttigieg,” Mullin said, referring to the former mayor of Southbend, Indiana, who was vaulted into heading the Department of Transportation during the Biden administration despite having no relevant past experience in a transportation-related role.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
GOP Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkwayneMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarkwayneMullin</a> says he became friends with Tulsi Gabbard when she was a Democrat—they went to the gym every morning together
In a video, he tells her that questions about her qualifications are absurd: “I mean, you’re not Pete Buttigieg” <a href="https://t.co/Qunu1Fwmjc">pic.twitter.com/Qunu1Fwmjc</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1877492971571929385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gabbard has seen some headwinds in the Senate. The Trump transition team earlier this week <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sad-to-see-trump-team-says-dems-playing-politics-with-key-national-security-admin-post">accused</a> Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee of obstructing Gabbard’s nomination.

Markwayne Mullin, Tulsi Gabbard

GOP Senator Blasts Questions About Tulsi Gabbard’s Qualifications: She’s ‘Not Pete Buttigieg’

Donald Trump

Markwayne Mullin

Washington D.C.

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team says Senate Democrats are “playing politics” to Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination process to be the next director of national intelligence.
Gabbard’s nomination hearing in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee was on track to take place next week, a goal of committee chairman, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Democrats on the committee, led by Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, have refused to schedule a hearing on Gabbard’s nomination, citing insufficient vetting materials.
The Trump transition said the delay, especially less than a week after an ISIS terrorist attack on U.S. soil, is &#8220;sad to see.&#8221;
“After the terrorist attacks on New Year&#8217;s Eve and New Years Day, it&#8217;s sad to see Sen. Warner and Democrats playing politics with Americans’ safety and our national security by stonewalling Lt. Col. Gabbard&#8217;s nomination, who is willing to meet with every member who will meet with her as this process continues,” Trump transition spokeswoman Alexa Henning told The Daily Wire.
Until Tuesday, Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia was the only Democrat on the committee to have met with Gabbard since her nomination. A source close to Gabbard told The Daily Wire that Gabbard’s team first contacted Warner’s office on November 27. Warner’s office did not reply for over a month, and finally met with Gabbard on Tuesday.
“It is vital the senate confirms President Elect Trump&#8217;s national security nominees swiftly, which in the past has been a bipartisan effort, we are working in lockstep with Chairmen Cotton and look forward to Lt. Col. Gabbard’s hearing before Inauguration Day,” she added.
GOP leaders have stressed the need to put in place Trump&#8217;s national security team soon after a terror attack killed 14 people in New Orleans on January 1.
“With reports of ISIS inspiration, the American people expect clear answers from the administration. The threat posed by ISIS will outlast this administration, and this is a clear example of why the Senate must get President Trump’s national security team in place as quickly as possible,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune <a href="https://x.com/SenJohnThune/status/1874657184497254803">said</a> at the time.
Warner has denied that Democrats are seeking to delay Gabbard’s hearing – the nominee is still missing some vetting materials, he says. Gabbard is expected to submit a second pre-hearing questionnaire by Thursday, and she completed her FBI background check process last week, according to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/07/tulsi-gabbard-senate-democrats-delay-hearing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a>. Gabbard’s active security clearance should expedite her background check.
Warner said after his meeting with Gabbard on Tuesday that the committee cannot schedule a hearing until it receives all the vetting materials, per committee rules.
“There’s no delay,” Warner said, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5072106-tulsi-gabbard-senate-intelligence-warner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>. “We do it by the book. Wait for an FBI background check, we ask her questions.”
According to Intelligence Committee <a href="https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/about/rules-procedure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rules</a>: “No confirmation hearing shall be held sooner than seven calendar days after receipt of the background questionnaire, financial disclosure statement, and responses to additional pre-hearing questions, if transmitted, unless the time limit is waived by a majority vote of the Committee.”
Warner added that the committee has received all the vetting materials on John Ratcliffe, Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, and is in the process of scheduling his hearing.

‘Sad To See’: Trump Team Says Dems ‘Playing Politics’ With Key National Security Admin Post

Trump Team Accuses Democrats Of ‘Playing Politics’ With Key Admin Post After Terror Attacks

Mark Warner

Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be the next director of national intelligence received a boost from a group of people well-acquainted with the threat of terrorism.
A former al Qaeda hostage, his parents, and the parents of an ISIS victim signed a joint letter backing Gabbard’s nomination as key to protecting Americans from terrorism, especially with the ascent of a new terror group in Syria.
Letter signatory Theo Padnos was kidnapped and held by the Nusra Front, an al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, from 2012 to 2014. His parents, Nancy Curtis and Michael Padnos, also signed the letter, as well as Carl and Marsha Mueller, whose daughter, Kayla, is believed to have been executed by ISIS in 2015 after being held captive in Syria for over two years.
Gabbard’s experience in national security and her service in the military has given her the necessary experience to understand the threat of terrorism, the letter says, according to a copy obtained by The Daily Wire.
“[Gabbard] has been compassionate towards terrorism’s victims. She has been a fierce advocate for bringing its practitioners to justice,” the letter says.
“American hostage families know that Tulsi Gabbard has always been on our side. We know this because all of us have been in the position of needing information and connections in a country in which the American foreign policy apparatus has been unable to provide even the most basic forms of help,” it continues.
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After the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorial regime last month, large swaths of Syria have fallen under the control of the Turkish-backed, U.S.-recognized terror group Hay&#8217;at Tahrir al-Sham, the leader of which has past ties to al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
“Now that the individuals who helped to build up ISIS and al Qaeda in Syria have taken charge of the country, we expect terrorists there to have a much freer hand in the future,” the letter says. It goes on to warn that terror groups in Syria will wield their influence over the internet to groom and radicalize “lone wolves in the West.”
“Given the threat that has lately surfaced in New Orleans, we feel that the sooner the senate confirms Tulsi Gabbard the better, as the nation needs leadership that will keep Americans safe,” the letter says.
The endorsement comes at a key time for Gabbard, one of President-elect Donald Trump’s more controversial nominees, as she prepares for a Senate confirmation hearing this month. Gabbard has been scrutinized for her past efforts to foster a closer U.S. relationship with Assad, whom she met with in 2017.
<a style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Muellers and Theo Letter of Support on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/812397735/Muellers-and-Theo-Letter-of-Support#from_embed">Muellers and Theo Letter of Support</a> by <a style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Timothy Pearce's profile on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/user/586253706/Timothy-Pearce#from_embed">Timothy Pearce</a> on Scribd

Victims Of Syrian Terror Groups Throw Support Behind Tulsi Gabbard For DNI

Syria

Terrorism

President-elect Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Senate Democrats will &#8220;improperly&#8221; attempt to delay the cabinet confirmation process and implored Republicans to stand up to the opposition party&#8217;s &#8220;tricks.&#8221;
With Republicans taking control of the Senate by a six-seat majority in January, Democrats will be handicapped in any effort to tank a Trump cabinet nominee unless some Republicans join them. Multiple cabinet picks — including Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard — could face fierce pushback during their confirmation hearings. The first hearings are scheduled to begin next week.
&#8220;We just won a Historic Landslide and Mandate from the American People, but Senate Democrats are organizing to improperly stall and delay the confirmation process of many of our Great Nominees,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113747699380757285" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;They will try all sorts of tricks starting very soon. Republicans must not allow them to do that. We have a Country to run, and many big problems to solve, mostly created by Democrats. REPUBLICANS, BE SMART AND TOUGH!!!&#8221;
Trump posted his warning on social media just two days after his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, reiterated instructions for Trump&#8217;s cabinet nominees to stay off social media, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/30/us-news/trump-team-orders-all-intended-nominees-to-stop-posting-on-social-media-ahead-of-senate-confirmations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Wiles wrote in a memo on Sunday, &#8220;While this instruction has been delivered previously, I am reiterating that no member of the incoming administration or Transition speaks for the United States or the President-elect himself.&#8221;
&#8220;Accordingly, all intended nominees should refrain from any public social media posts without prior approval of the incoming White House counsel,&#8221; she added.
Hegseth, Kennedy, and Gabbard have all been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-is-a-winner-trump-stands-by-hegseth-amid-legacy-media-firestorm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutinized</a> by the legacy media after their nominations. Criticisms of Hegseth have focused on a sexual assault allegation against him made by an unnamed woman in 2017. Authorities investigated the accusation, and no charges were filed against Hegseth.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who switched to the Republican Party in October, has been slammed by pundits and some Democrats who allege that she is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-putin-intelligence-russia-syria-a798adaf9cd531a5d0c9329f7597f0f6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sympathetic</a> toward Russia. Kennedy, meanwhile, has faced backlash for his stance on vaccines.
Trump immediately sparked controversy with his cabinet choices last month. His attorney general pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-matt-gaetz-withdraws-name-from-ag-consideration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrew</a> his name from consideration after senators expressed concern over his confirmation due to alleged sexual misconduct. After Gaetz withdrew, Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The president-elect has doubled down on his support for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-is-a-winner-trump-stands-by-hegseth-amid-legacy-media-firestorm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hegseth</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-those-criticizing-tulsi-gabbard-for-meeting-with-assad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gabbard</a> amid the legacy media firestorms.

Trump Says Dems ‘Will Try All Sorts Of Tricks’ To Delay Cabinet Confirmations

Trump Says Dems 'Will Try All Sorts Of Tricks' To Delay Cabinet Confirmations

Cabinet

Democrats

Executive

Pete Hegseth

Republicans

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Senate

The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) on Tuesday endorsed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tulsi-gabbard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsi Gabbard</a>, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next director of national intelligence (DNI).
The NBPC endorsed Gabbard in a letter to Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, the next chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Gabbard, a former Democrat and member of Congress, was tapped by Trump last month in one of his first nominations after winning the November election.
“On behalf of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), I write to express our complete and total support for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), former U.S. Representative and Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard. We have no doubt that Lt. Col. Gabbard is the right person to be the DNI and will work tirelessly to keep our nation safe, just as she has done for the past two decades,” the NBPC said in a letter obtained by The Daily Wire.
The NBPC letter may help Gabbard as she attempts to win over Republican support for her nomination despite her recent arrival to the party. Toward that end, Gabbard began meeting with GOP members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. She plans to finish those meetings on Wednesday with a visit to Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
The NBPC praised Gabbard for her past military service, which the group said exemplifies the traits a competent DNI needs in order to take on the national security challenges of maintaining a secure border.
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“The U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), led by the DNI, plays an integral role in our border security by monitoring the potential for these threats to enter our country,” the NBPC letter says. “From transnational criminal organizations operating in North, Central, and South America to foreign terrorist organizations and hostile state actors, these entities and individuals will always attempt to exploit our unsecure borders to further their activities that threaten the American people.”
“In order to adequately confront these threats, the IC must have strong, courageous and competent leadership – that leader is Lt. Col. Gabbard,” the letter says.
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Donald Trump, Tulsi Gabbard

Top Border Patrol Union Endorses Tulsi Gabbard For Intel Post As She Courts Capitol Hill

Border Crisis

Illegal Immigration

U.S.

President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said during an interview over the weekend that it was ridiculous that people were criticizing former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) over her meeting years ago with then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump&#8217;s remarks during the interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; with Kristen Welker were aired on Sunday, just a day after Assad was forced to flee the country as his government collapsed following an aggressive military campaign from terrorist rebels.
&#8220;I met with Putin. I met with President Xi of China. I met with Kim Jong-un twice,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Does that mean that I can’t be president?&#8221;
&#8220;People meet. All these people meet,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I mean, I see some of the most dishonest people. I’ll tell you, the 51 agents that said that the laptop wasn’t from Hunter, it was from Russia, what about them? Tell me about them. Do you think they did something wrong? Do you think they were all so stupid that they thought that the laptop from hell?&#8211;&#8221;
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When asked if he had confidence in Gabbard, Trump said: &#8220;I do. I mean, she’s a very respected person.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump rips people claiming that former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard&#8217;s (D-HI) meeting with then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad disqualifies her from ODNI.
&#8220;I met with Putin. I met with President Xi of China. I met with Kim Jong-un twice. Does that mean that I can’t be president?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/t8UeX6oGgg">pic.twitter.com/t8UeX6oGgg</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1865890619085705414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>

Screen Shot 2022-03-24 at 8.41.05 AM

Trump Rips Those Criticizing Tulsi Gabbard For Meeting With Assad

Bashar Assad

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) defended former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, over the weekend after she has been attacked in the media over the last couple of weeks.
Schmitt made the remarks during a Sunday interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; with Kristen Welker when asked about remarks that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley made about Gabbard.
&#8220;This is not a place for a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer,&#8221; Haley said recently. &#8220;DNI has to analyze real threats. Are we comfortable with someone like that at the top of our national intelligence agencies?&#8221;
Schmitt responded: &#8220;I think it&#8217;s really interesting that anybody that has a different political view now is being cast as a Russian asset.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s totally ridiculous,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Tulsi Gabbard has served in our military. She&#8217;s served as a congresswoman from Hawaii — as a Democrat, I might add, part of this unique coalition that President Trump has put together and won and got that mandate. But I think it&#8217;s insulting. It&#8217;s a slur, quite frankly.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s no evidence that she&#8217;s an asset of another country,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;She&#8217;s served this country honorably. And, by the way, she cares deeply about our constitution and civil liberties and making sure people aren&#8217;t being targeted by these intelligence agencies.&#8221;
Schmitt said that Gabbard was &#8220;a reformer&#8221; who can come in and shake up the intelligence community.
He later added that he planned to vote for Gabbard as well as Pam Bondi for attorney general and Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt says he’s a ‘yes’ on Bondi, Hegseth and Gabbard for Cabinet: Full interview" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N1flvLiWkaM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The 2024 Republican National Convention

Eric Schmitt: Attacks On Tulsi Gabbard ‘Totally Ridiculous’

Eric Schmitt

Presidential nomination

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) slammed Sen. Tammy Duckworth&#8217;s (D-IL) attack on former Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tulsi-gabbard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsi Gabbard</a> (D-HI) over the weekend, calling her smear &#8220;outright dangerous.&#8221;
Mullin made the remark during a Sunday interview on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; while responding to Duckworth&#8217;s attacks on Gabbard — whom President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to be his Director of National Intelligence — just moments prior on the same show.
Duckworth claimed that Gabbard, who is now a Republican, was &#8220;compromised&#8221; and potentially someone who &#8220;will not have America&#8217;s best interests at heart.&#8221;
When asked to respond to Duckworth&#8217;s attacks, Mullin said he thought they were &#8220;ridiculous and outright dangerous words.&#8221;
&#8220;You have got to keep in mind that Tulsi Gabbard is still a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army,&#8221; he said. &#8220;She commands a Reserve unit here in Oklahoma and Missouri. If she was compromised, if she wasn&#8217;t able to pass a background check, if she wasn&#8217;t able to do her job, she still wouldn&#8217;t be in the Army.&#8221;
&#8220;And so Tammy is absolutely dead wrong on this, and she should retract those words,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s the most dangerous thing she could say, is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.&#8221;
He said Duckworth&#8217;s attack could be motivated by her being upset that Gabbard left the party.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🔥NEW: Splitscreen of Sen. Tammy Duckworth slandering Tulsi Gabbard as “compromised” — and Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s immediate response BLASTING Duckworth:
“Tammy is absolutely dead wrong on this, and she should retract those words. She&#8217;s upset that Tulsi Gabbard left the Democrat… <a href="https://t.co/ceDUcabQbD">pic.twitter.com/ceDUcabQbD</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1860722771346514059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>

I Am Vanessa Guillén Act

Senator Mullin Rips Democrat Senator’s ‘Outright Dangerous’ Attack On Tulsi Gabbard

Media

Tammy Duckworth

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) pushed back on Sunday against members of his party who are claiming that former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is a &#8220;Russian asset.&#8221;
Jeffries made the remarks during an interview on NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; with Kristen Welker when asked about Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/11/16/us-news/wasserman-schultz-sparks-backlash-for-claiming-tulsi-gabbard-is-a-russian-asset/">saying</a> last week that Gabbard was &#8220;by most assessments, a Russian asset.&#8221;
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gabbard, who is now a Republican, to be the director of national intelligence.
&#8220;Here&#8217;s what I have to say about several of the nominations that have been made by the incoming president, including the one that Debbie Wasserman Schultz was referring to,&#8221; Jeffries said. &#8220;The incoming president, throughout the campaign, promised the American people that we would have the best economy, the best border security, and the best administration possible.&#8221;
&#8220;The question that has to be asked: Is this the best that we can do in the context of some of these nominations?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Is this the very best that America has to offer for a moment like this, with so many challenges that we confront?&#8221;
He said Gabbard and others were &#8220;not&#8221; the best picks for the roles and said that &#8220;America deserves better.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
&#8220;Hopefully, we&#8217;ll see the Senate Republicans do their job, scrutinize these picks, certainly confirm those that meet the basic level of qualifications, and reject others,&#8221; he said.
When asked again if he would characterize Gabbard as a &#8220;Russian asset,&#8221; Jeffries responded: &#8220;No, that&#8217;s not how I would characterize her at this particular juncture.&#8221;
&#8220;But I&#8217;m open to scrutinizing whatever information is presented to all of us,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But this is going to fall on Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) when asked if he agrees with Democrats calling Tulsi Gabbard a &#8220;Russian asset&#8221;:
&#8220;No, that&#8217;s not how I would characterize her&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/hqD1RazfF4">pic.twitter.com/hqD1RazfF4</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1858570611276030395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

Hakeem Jeffries 11/15

Hakeem Jeffries Pushes Back On His Party Claiming Tulsi Gabbard A ‘Russian Asset’

Hakeem Jeffries

Russia

Obama administration alum Jeh Johnson defended two of the people President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> has chosen to serve in national security-related positions in his incoming administration: former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence and decorated U.S. Army veteran Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.
While Johnson made it clear — during his Thursday appearance on CNN News Central — that he was not a fan of Trump&#8217;s choice for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-nominates-matt-gaetz-for-attorney-general" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Attorney General</a>, he was willing to give a little grace on some of the others. He even defended Gabbard and Hegseth, explaining why they could be solid choices for those specific roles in Trump&#8217;s new administration.
Host Sara Sidner raised the question regarding Gabbard first, repeating the preferred Democrat-media narrative that the former Democrat is somehow beholden to Russia.
&#8220;She has spread Russian propaganda. She has challenged the intelligence on whether President Assad used chemical weapons, which the intelligence said he had certainly done. And now she’s in this position to potentially head the high intelligence agency over all intelligence agencies. What does this mean? To you?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;Well, I’m going to surprise you a little bit. I don’t think that it is an absolute prerequisite that the director of national intelligence be someone of the intelligence community. I also believe that on occasion, it’s a good thing to be skeptical of the intelligence that we’re provided. Those of us who are in a position of making serious decisions, policymakers,&#8221; Johnson replied.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
&#8220;So being skeptical of what the intelligence community produces can be a good thing. And I’m thinking of the intelligence leading up to the Iraq war, for example,&#8221; he added.
Sidner then pivoted to Hegseth — a 20-year veteran who received two Bronze Stars and deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay — whom she referred to as a &#8220;Fox anchor&#8221; and only mentioned briefly that he served in the National Guard.
&#8220;Let me ask you about another controversial pick, a Fox anchor, Pete Hegseth. He did serve in the Army National Guard, but now he is up for secretary of defense. And, you know, he said a few things. He has lobbied for people who are accused of war crimes in Afghanistan. He recently said that women do not belong in combat roles. But you have said that you’d give him the benefit of the doubt. Why?&#8221;
&#8220;I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;Because here’s somebody who was well-educated, obviously intelligent, was in financial services, was in the Wall Street community for a while, could have made a lot of money and chose to leave that, put on the uniform of our country, and see combat. So I give him the benefit of the doubt for that reason.&#8221;
Johnson went on to say that both Gabbard and Hegseth would have to appear before the Senate for their confirmation hearings, and he said that he expected the Senate to do its job in vetting them thoroughly.

The 2019 Concordia Annual Summit – Day 2

Obama DHS Chief Defends Trump’s NatSec-Related Cabinet Picks: Gabbard, Hegseth

Obama DHS Chief Defends Trump's NatSec-Related Cabinet Picks: Gabbard, Hegseth

Barack Obama

Jeh Johnson

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