Tulsi Gabbard confirmation hearing: ​Trump's nominee blames Biden for politicising the intelligence community

In her introductory remarks during the confirmation hearing, Tulsi Gabbard criticised the Biden administration for politicising the intelligence community.

She contended that a Biden campaign adviser orchestrated a letter from 51 former senior intelligence officials to suppress Hunter Biden's laptop reports "specifically to help Biden win the election."

She asserted that the FBI, under Biden's leadership, misused its authority for political purposes, including attempts to monitor Catholics attending traditional Latin Mass by categorising them as "radical."

The nominee put forth by Trump to oversee the intelligence coordination agency also alleged personal targeting by the Biden administration, aligning with the president's claims. Gabbard maintained that she faced repercussions after criticising former Vice President Kamala Harris and her nomination for the Democratic presidential ticket during the summer.

"I was placed on a secret domestic terror watchlist called Quiet Skies. Sadly, there are more examples," Gabbard said.

According to The New York Times, whilst Gabbard was indeed placed on a flight watchlist, the reasons were not politically motivated. Following her attendance at a Vatican conference last year, she appeared on the Quiet Skies list for two weeks because the event organiser, a businessman with Russian connections, was on a watchlist, as confirmed by two senior US officials.

Gabbard’s past statements have drawn criticism from both parties. She has echoed Russian rhetoric justifying the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine and has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of corruption. Some Republican lawmakers have accused her of spreading Russian disinformation, while Russian state-controlled media have lauded her.

Another sticking point is her 2017 visit with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Following the trip, she faced backlash for appearing to legitimize Assad, who was accused of using chemical weapons in Syria’s civil war. Gabbard also expressed skepticism that Assad was responsible for chemical attacks, further fueling criticism.