### Senators Divided Over Tulsi Gabbard's Nomination for Intel Chief

Republican senators are pushing back against allegations from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard, the recent choice of former President Donald Trump to lead U.S. intelligence, is compromised due to her supportive comments of Russia and past secret meetings with Syria's president.

Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a veteran with combat missions in Iraq, expressed her concerns about Gabbard's nomination, highlighting a 2017 trip to Syria where Gabbard engaged in discussions with Syrian President Bashar Assad. "I think she's compromised," Duckworth remarked during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." She underscored that the U.S. intelligence community has identified Gabbard as having troubling relationships with America's adversaries, raising doubts about her ability to pass a background check.

Her comments generated a swift backlash from Republican colleagues. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma labeled Duckworth's remarks as "ridiculous and outright dangerous," urging her to retract her statement. "That's the most dangerous thing she could say - is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia," Mullin said.

Duckworth's concerns were echoed by other Democrats. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts claimed, without providing specifics, that Gabbard is "in Putin's pocket." Meanwhile, Representative Adam Schiff of California refrained from calling Gabbard a Russian asset but questioned her judgment. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Schiff pointed out, "The problem is if our foreign allies don't trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they'll stop sharing information with us."

Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for over two decades and was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait, has also faced scrutiny for her 2022 endorsement of Russia's justification for invading Ukraine. She mentioned the existence of U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine, which Moscow had claimed were being used to create bioweapons—an assertion Gabbard clarified was about protecting the labs.

Reflecting on the allegations, Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri deemed them "totally ridiculous," calling the accusations insulting and a baseless slur. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma shared that while he has questions for Gabbard regarding her past meetings and statements, the Senate would seek to understand the full context during her nomination process.

As both parties present their cases, the controversy surrounding Gabbard's nomination continues to draw sharp lines in the political landscape.