Tulsi Gabbard wins over key Senate skeptics
Sens. Susan Collins and James Lankford said they plan to support the director of national intelligence nominee, but Sens. Todd Young and Jerry Moran are publicly undecided

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Tulsi Gabbard, nominee to be Director of the office of the Director of National Intelligence, testifies in front of the Senate Intelligence in Washington, DC, United States on January 30, 2025.
Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be director of national intelligence is on sturdier footing heading into a vote on Tuesday in the Senate Intelligence Committee to advance her nomination to the full Senate, but two key swing voters remain mum on their plans.
The committee vote comes less than a week after Gabbard’s confirmation hearing, which exacerbated concerns from skeptical Republicans. Gabbard declined repeated requests from Democrats and Republicans on the committee to call government leaker Edward Snowden a traitor and was vague about some of her views relating to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key foreign surveillance authority. She was also scrutinized over her past comments about Russia and NATO.
Asked whether he thought Gabbard would be approved, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), an Intelligence Committee member, told Jewish Insider, “Time will tell. I’m optimistic.”
Two former Gabbard skeptics announced on Monday that they plan to support her.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said that she would support Gabbard “after extensive consideration.”
“As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence Community,” Collins said. “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.”
Collins was publicly undecided last week but said she was satisfied with Gabbard’s answers to her questions at Thursday’s hearing.
“In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden. I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security,” Collins’ Monday statement said.
Gabbard, in an op-ed over the weekend, said she told senators in the private portion of her hearing that she did not want to “casually throw around [the] term” treason because it carries a death sentence, while political adversaries had leveled the accusation against her and others in President Donald Trump’s orbit.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), who had said on Thursday he was concerned by Gabbard’s refusal to call Snowden a traitor and said her hearing had raised “a lot of questions” about her confirmation prospects, reaffirmed his plans to vote for Gabbard on Monday, after speaking to her over the weekend.
Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) remain potential GOP swing votes. If Republicans lose just one vote, Gabbard would not advance out of committee. The vote, taking place behind closed doors, may not be announced publicly.
Young was visibly frustrated by Gabbard’s repeated refusal during her confirmation hearing to say Snowden was a traitor, and was reportedly still undecided on Monday in spite of weekend lobbying by Vice President J.D. Vance and Senate GOP colleagues. He also came under attack over the weekend from White House advisor Elon Musk.
“You’ll hear more from me tomorrow,” Young told reporters on Monday evening, adding that he had “a lot of great conversations” over the weekend.
Moran also engaged in a tense exchange with Gabbard at the hearing on her views on Russia and its invasion of Ukraine, which Gabbard had previously blamed on NATO, questioning whether she would give Russia “a pass” in her assessments and policy recommendations.
He was noncommittal last week on whether he’d support her. “Col. Gabbard’s answers to my questions met my standard of being satisfactory to answer the information that I wanted,” Moran said. Moran’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Senate GOP leadership has the procedural powers necessary to force Gabbard’s nomination to the Senate floor even if the committee vote is tied or fails, though such a move would be highly unusual.