Republicans defend Trump intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard against compromise claims

Republican senators are defending Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, against claims she is "compromised." Critics point to her past comments on Russia and a 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Democrat Senator Tammy Duckworth expressed concerns about Gabbard's suitability, citing her relationships with adversaries of the U.S. Duckworth questioned whether Gabbard could pass a background check due to these ties. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, recently switched to the Republican Party. She has served in the Army National Guard for over 20 years, including deployments to Iraq and Kuwait.