Tulsi Gabbard Faces Toughest Confirmation Challenge Among Trump’s Picks

Former Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, nominated by President-elect Trump to serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI), is emerging as one of the most contentious confirmation cases in the new administration. While Trump’s other picks, such as Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense and Kash Patel for FBI Director, have encountered obstacles, many believe Gabbard’s path is the steepest.

“I think Gabbard, out of the three, still has the toughest path,” a Senate GOP aide told The Hill. “[She] is the most at risk.” This sentiment reflects growing skepticism among Senate Republicans about Gabbard’s foreign policy positions and whether she can be trusted to oversee the nation’s intelligence apparatus.

Though Gabbard enjoys strong support from Trump’s inner circle, the Senate Republican Conference is less united. The conference includes defense hawks and staunch backers of Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia—groups critical of Gabbard’s past comments about the conflict. She has been accused of expressing views sympathetic to Moscow, with her remarks echoed by Russian state media, which has praised her nomination. These concerns are compounded by her controversial 2017 visit to Syrian President Bashar Assad. While she later described Assad as a “brutal dictator,” her earlier comments suggesting he was not an enemy of the U.S. have left many uneasy.

Behind the scenes, some GOP members express fears about Gabbard’s reliability. “Behind closed doors, people think she might be compromised. Like it’s not hyperbole,” one GOP aide said. “There are members of our conference who think she’s a [Russian] asset.”

Publicly, however, Republican senators have rejected such allegations, standing by Gabbard despite the controversy. Notably, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who worked with her in Congress, has also dismissed claims of Russian influence. Yet bipartisan support for her nomination remains unlikely. “She’s not going to get any Democratic votes,” a Senate Republican said, emphasizing the narrow margin for error. To secure confirmation, Gabbard can afford to lose no more than three Republican votes.

Although Gabbard’s challenges are formidable, she is not alone in facing scrutiny. Pete Hegseth, nominated for Secretary of Defense, has also drawn significant criticism. His tenure leading veterans’ organizations was marred by allegations of financial mismanagement and sexual impropriety, including a 2017 sexual assault accusation, which he denies. “The allegation was ‘fully investigated’ and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth said before Thanksgiving. Despite this, Senator Lindsey Graham described the allegations as “very disturbing,” acknowledging that they complicate Hegseth’s path to confirmation.

Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to head the FBI, has sparked his own controversy. A staunch ally of the president, Patel has vowed to reform the bureau, including plans to purge personnel seen as disloyal to Trump and shut down its Washington, D.C., headquarters. While Senate Republicans have not outright dismissed Patel, some worry about his polarizing approach. Nonetheless, his resume, which includes roles as a prosecutor, National Security Council member, and aide to former House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes, has earned praise from certain lawmakers. “I think the conference will get behind him,” said Senator Bill Hagerty. He added, “What you’re seeing here in Washington is a lot of people that are shocked that we’re going to see real reform in an agency that is completely broken.”

For Gabbard, the concerns are more fundamental. Despite her military service in the Hawaii Army National Guard, including a deployment to Iraq, she has no experience in the intelligence community or its oversight. As DNI, she would oversee 18 intelligence agencies and a $70 billion budget. “Gun to my head, Gabbard is probably the toughest,” another GOP aide said, citing her controversial Syria stance and recent switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party as major issues. “Those are real concerns members have,” the aide added.

Next week, Gabbard plans to begin meeting with Senate Republicans to address their concerns, following the lead of Hegseth and Patel, who have already started lobbying lawmakers. While some senators remain apprehensive about all three nominees, others are inclined to respect Trump’s choices. “You take each one individually,” Senator Mike Rounds explained. “You look at … will they be a good fit for the department? What’s the reason why the president wants this person? You look at—is there any reason why this person should not be in that position?” He added, “You always do your best to give the president the benefit of the doubt because he’s the one who’s accountable for making the nomination in the first place.”

Despite these sentiments, Gabbard’s path to confirmation is fraught with hurdles. Her polarizing reputation and lack of bipartisan support mean her nomination hangs in a delicate balance. Whether she can overcome skepticism and secure the necessary votes remains to be seen, but her nomination has undoubtedly sparked debate about the direction of U.S. intelligence leadership.