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Senate showdown: Key takeaways from Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel's hearings

In a tense Senate hearing, Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel faced tough bipartisan scrutiny over their past statements, foreign policy stances, and ties to controversial figures

Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel

Nandini Singh New Delhi

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Several of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees faced intense questioning from both Republicans and Democrats during their confirmation hearings on Thursday. The hearings, which stretched for hours, were marked by tough exchanges, pointed accusations, and concerns about national security, political allegiances, and past controversies.
 
One of the most scrutinised nominees was former Democratic congresswoman and military veteran Tulsi Gabbard, who has been tapped to serve as Director of National Intelligence. Meanwhile, Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, Kash Patel, faced questions about his past comments regarding the January 6 Capitol riots and his alleged connections to the QAnon movement.
 
 

Gabbard grilled on Russian ties and comments on Putin 

Gabbard, who previously represented Hawaii in Congress and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 before endorsing Trump in 2024, was put on the defensive over her past remarks about Russia’s war in Ukraine. She has faced accusations of echoing Kremlin talking points and justifying Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
 
Democratic Senator Michael Bennet confronted Gabbard with her own past statements, reading aloud remarks in which she suggested that Putin had “legitimate security concerns” over Nato’s expansion into Eastern Europe.
 
“You have essentially argued that a totalitarian state was justified in rolling over the peaceful border of Ukraine,” Bennet charged, pointing out that Russian state television had even referred to her as “our friend Tulsi.”
 
Gabbard, a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard with deployments to the Middle East, has no formal intelligence experience. 
 

Gabbard dodges questions on Edward Snowden 

Lawmakers from both parties also pressed Gabbard about her past support for Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency whistleblower who leaked classified US surveillance documents before fleeing to Russia.
 
Gabbard has previously called Snowden ‘brave’ and has argued that he should be pardoned. On Thursday, she was repeatedly asked whether she considered him a traitor, a question she refused to answer directly.
 
“Snowden broke the law,” she acknowledged. “He released information about the United States. I have more immediate steps that I would take to prevent another Snowden.”
 

Scrutiny over Gabbard’s 2017 meeting with Bashar al-Assad 

Gabbard also faced tough questions regarding her controversial 2017 trip to Syria, where she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad. At the time, Assad’s government was under international condemnation for attacks on its own people, including chemical weapons use.
 
During the hearing, Gabbard defended her visit, claiming she had confronted Assad with “tough questions about his own regime’s actions.” However, critics argue that the meeting served to legitimise the dictator, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed concern over her foreign policy judgment. 
“I have no love for Assad or Gaddafi or any dictator,” Gabbard said to preempt criticism. “I shed no tears for the fall of the Assad regime.” She then pivoted to current concerns, arguing that Syria is now controlled by an extremist faction more dangerous than Assad himself.
 

Kash Patel questioned on support for January 6 rioters 

Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, faced an equally intense line of questioning. A former federal prosecutor and Trump administration aide, Patel has drawn controversy for his past support of individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
 
Democrats grilled Patel about his role in promoting a charity song recorded by jailed rioters, including individuals convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers.
 
“Was President Donald Trump wrong to give blanket clemency to the January 6 defendants?” asked Democratic Senator Dick Durbin.
 
Patel carefully avoided directly criticising Trump, stating, “I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement, including that which occurred on January 6.” However, he repeatedly declined to disavow Trump’s decision to pardon rioters.
 

Patel strikes a moderate tone but faces deep skepticism 

Despite his controversial past statements, Patel attempted to present himself as a moderate figure during his hearing, particularly when discussing the FBI’s role in combating crime.
 
He emphasised the agency’s need to focus on violent crime, stating, “If confirmed, I will remain focused on the FBI’s core mission — to investigate fully wherever there is a constitutional and factual basis to do so.”
 
Still, Patel’s past writings and affiliations raised concerns. He authored a book titled Government Gangsters, in which he promoted theories about a so-called “deep state” working against Trump. Additionally, Patel has been linked to the QAnon movement, a conspiracy theory claiming that elite government, media, and business figures are engaged in widespread criminal activity.
 
[With agency inputs]

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First Published: Jan 31 2025 | 10:30 AM IST

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