Tulsi Gabbard confirmed as intelligence head regardless of fears of pro-Russia stance

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who has been publicly questioned over her affinity for overseas dictators and selling conspiracy theories, has been confirmed as director of nationwide intelligence by the US Senate.

The Senate voted 52 to 48, with only one Republican – the senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky – voting towards her affirmation.

Gabbard, 43, confronted a tense affirmation listening to final month that noticed her reply to questions from each Republicans and Democrats over her previous feedback sympathetic to Russia and protection of the federal government of the previous Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad, who she visited in 2017 whereas he was beneath US sanction.

In the course of the listening to, Gabbard refused to name the whistleblower Edward Snowden a “traitor”, partially recanted her views that Russia was provoked into invading Ukraine, and insisted she had “no love” for Assad.

Republicans have since rallied behind Gabbard regardless of preliminary doubts over the 43-year-old former Democrat’s lack of serious intelligence expertise.

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska and a possible swing vote, stated on Monday that she would vote to substantiate Gabbard, noting that regardless of “considerations about sure positions she has beforehand taken” she believed Gabbard “brings unbiased pondering and crucial oversight to her new position”.

Gabbard, a former presidential candidate and navy veteran who served in Iraq, has ruthlessly criticised the US intelligence group she’s going to now lead.

As director of nationwide intelligence, she’s going to oversee 18 intelligence businesses – together with the CIA and FBI – that make use of greater than 70,000 folks engaged in collating and safeguarding the nation’s most delicate secrets and techniques.

After Gabbard’s affirmation vote, the Senate instantly moved to a procedural vote on Robert F Kennedy Jr’s nomination for well being and human providers secretary.