National Security Officials Warn Tulsi Gabbard Has 'Sympathy for Dictators'

Nearly 100 former U.S. national security and intelligence officials have raised concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, warning of her "sympathy for dictators." In an open letter released Thursday by Foreign Policy for America, the officials called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Senate Republican leader John Thune to scrutinize Gabbard’s suitability for the role.

The signatories criticized Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who recently joined the Republican Party after appearing at a Trump rally, for her ties to Russian and Syrian officials. They accused her of aligning with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and challenging U.S. intelligence reports on Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons and the Russia-Ukraine war. 

“Ms. Gabbard’s past actions cast serious doubt on her ability to provide unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and the national security community,” the letter stated. “Her apparent sympathy for authoritarian figures such as Putin and Assad raises grave concerns about her judgment and qualifications.”

The group also highlighted her lack of experience, labeling her “the least qualified nominee for director of national intelligence since the position’s creation.” They urged the Senate to conduct closed-door vetting sessions to fully evaluate her candidacy and ensure her fitness for overseeing the National Intelligence Program.

In response, Trump transition team spokesperson Alexa Henning dismissed the letter as politically motivated. “This is exactly why President Trump selected Tulsi Gabbard,” Henning stated. “These baseless attacks come from the same individuals responsible for decades of flawed intelligence, including the Iraq WMD fiasco. Their partisan smears lack factual support.”

Joel Brenner, a former head of counterintelligence under the director of national intelligence and one of the letter's signatories, issued a sharp rebuke of Gabbard’s nomination. “This appointment is an affront to the intelligence community and the professionals who work tirelessly to safeguard our nation,” Brenner said. “Incompetent, unqualified, erratic—these terms barely scratch the surface in describing the threat her leadership poses.”