The U.S. Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence by a 52 to 48 vote on Wednesday, reports UNN citing ABC.
Details
Former Republican leader Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to break ranks and vote against Gabbard's nomination. All other Republicans voted for Gabbard and all Democrats voted against her.
Before the vote, Majority Leader John Thune criticized Democrats for their concerted efforts to block and oppose both her and nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nominations, arguing that their unwillingness to support Trump's choices demonstrates how much the party is “out of step” with America.
Gabbard passed a key test vote in the Senate Monday night and was expected to be confirmed.
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Gabbard, who served in the Hawaii Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq with a medical unit, has long criticized U.S. foreign policy as imperial and rigid.
As director of national intelligence, which was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Gabbard will oversee 18 intelligence agencies with a budget of about $70 billion and will be the president's top intelligence adviser. But her nomination must first be confirmed by the Senate, where Republicans will have a majority starting in January 2025.
Recall
Earlier, UNN reported that Donald Trump had selected Tulsi Gabbard to be the nominee for U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party in 2022, has a military background and has become a strong supporter of Trump.