Tolsi GabbardA previous democratic member, confirmed as director of national intelligence in the United States, a role at the cabinet level in the administration of President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday’s assertion in the Senate was considered one of Trump’s most controversial state.

However, the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, voted 52-48, most of them along the party’s lines, to approve Gabbard for this position, which supervises the 18 agency in the American Intelligence Society.

He was the only Republic to vote against it Senator Mitch McConnellThe party leader was in the room for 18 years until the end of last year.

Gabbard was an unconventional choice, given her previous comments that express her sympathy for the Russian President Vladimir Putin And its support for government leakage, Edward Snowden.

Gabbard also traveled to Syria in 2017 to meet a leader now Bashar al -AssadIt is a step that drew the conviction of the two parties, given the accusations of widespread human rights violations under its leadership.

In a statement, McConnell expressed his ongoing concerns about Gabbard’s nomination.

“The nation should not worry that the assessments of the intelligence received by the president are contaminated by the Director of National Intelligence with a history of disturbing lapses in government,” he wrote, and described Gabbard as “an unnecessary danger.”

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was established to address the intelligence failures of the attacks on September 11, 2001.

However, the Republicans have increasingly criticized the office, saying that it has grown significantly and shed. Trump has long looked at the nation’s intelligence services.

“The intelligence community needs to re -focus on its basic mission, collect intelligence information, and provide an unbiased analysis of that information,” the leader of the Republican Senate John Thun He said In his support from Gabbard.

As the Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard will have a wide access to classified materials and work as a major intelligence consultant for the president.

Gabbard, an ancient military warriors with isolation opinions, takes the role as Trump works to reshape large parts of the federal government through spending and employment discounts.

For example, the Central Intelligence Agency, one of the intelligence agencies now under the leadership of Gabbard, confirmed last week that it has offered purchases to encourage the resignation of the volunteer employees.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts raised concerns about Trump’s adviser Illon Musk Ministry of Governmental efficiency Access to sensitive government information about intelligence operations.

Snowden, Syria and Russia

During which Confirmation sessions Last month, Gabbard faced an interrogation about her previous defense of Snowden, the former security contractor who leaked secret documents revealing the scope of American surveillance programs.

In the face of criminal charges of violating the espionage law, Snownn fled from the United States in 2013 and granted asylum in Russia.

Some Senate members were significantly frustrated by Gabbard’s refusal to call Snowden a traitor.

“Edward Snowden has broken the law,” she said. “The truth is that – even when the law broke – it was issued information that displays terrible, illegal and unconstitutional programs.”

Gabbard’s 2017 visit with Assad was another flash point. Critics accused her of lending to legitimacy and the appearance of the United States’ support for pain, which was accused of war crimes.

Her comments on doubt whether Assad used chemical weapons against the Syrians motivated more controversy.

However, during the confirmation session, Gabbard defended the meeting, saying that she seized the opportunity to pressure the Syrian leader in the human rights record.

“He has asked him difficult questions about the actions of his regime, and the use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were used against his people,” Gabbard said.

It also criticized a previous statement saying that Russia has “legitimate security concerns” that hastened its extensive rage to Ukraine in 2022.

Trump’s victory is another

In the period before the vote on Wednesday, it was not clear whether Gabbard’s nomination will succeed.

Many Republicans, including Todd Young of Indiana, have raised concerns. Young was eventually subjected to pressure from Trump’s allies like Musk, who described him as a “deep state doll” on social media.

Later the musk deleted the position and spoke to Young. After that, Young announced his decision to vote in favor message: “I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power for people from the unintended vast bureaucracy.”

In the end, all the Republicans of the Senate voted for Gabbard with the exception of one.

The party’s skeptics said they won its promise to re -focus on the basic tasks of the office: coordinating federal intelligence work and the main intelligence advisers of the president.

“While I still have concerns about some of the situations that I have previously occupied, I can commit to curbing the agency’s large scope,” said Senator Lisa Morkovski, a Republican of Alaska.

She added that Gabbard will bring “independent thinking” to the job.

Gabbard’s confirmation was another victory for Trump, as he is paying to secure rapid approvals in the Senate for all high -level candidates.

Democrats, who opposed their nomination, indicated that Gabbard has no experience in working in an intelligence agency and lived if it would stand for Trump if necessary.

“It is an insult to the people who have devoted their lives and put themselves on their way to confirming it in this position,” said Elisa Sluttin, a member of the Democratic Senate of Michigan and a former CIA analyst.

Gabbard, the presidential candidate in 2020, left the Democratic Party two years later, describing him as “Kabal Nagawi”.

She was independent until last year when she supported Trump and joined the Republican Party.