Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next administration’s director of national intelligence, reversed course on a controversial item after lobbying from Republican senators.
Gabbard made it clear Friday that she believes Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is “important for gathering foreign intelligence about non-U.S. persons abroad.”
She previously opposed FISA Section 702 reauthorization when she served as a Democrat in the House.
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Ms. Gabbard announced a change in her position regarding Section 702 of FISA. (Getty Images)
“We have a very important responsibility to balance national security, which protects the safety of the American people, with protecting our constitutionally protected freedoms,” she said on the House floor in 2018. . Let’s make our country safe. Vote to protect the constitutional rights that so many have fought and died for. ”
“This unique ability cannot be replicated and must be protected to protect our nation while ensuring the civil liberties of Americans,” Gabbard said in a statement provided by Trump’s transition spokesperson. Ta.
“My previous concerns about FISA were based on inadequate civil liberties protections, particularly the FBI’s abuse of warrantless search powers against American citizens. To address these issues, I have Important FISA reforms have been enacted since my time in Congress. If confirmed as DNI, I will continue to maintain important national security measures like Section 702 to ensure the safety and freedom of the American people. , will defend the Fourth Amendment rights of Americans,” she said.
Gabbard’s change in beliefs on key national security issues was first reported by Punchbowl News.
This came after multiple Republican senators pressed her on the importance of Section 702 of FISA.
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President Trump nominated Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told Fox News Digital in a statement: “In our conversations, Tulsi Gabbard supported the recently amended Section 702 and promised us that she would abide by the law,” and supports her reauthorization as a DNI. ”
One Republican aide said that during a meeting with Gabbard, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) talked about how important the powers granted by Section 702 are and how she would use them. He said it emphasized how important it is to navigate.
Lankford appeared on a podcast earlier this week and told The Wall Street Journal’s Kim Strassel that there are some issues “people aren’t talking about” related to Trump’s election. One of those is her position on Gabbard and Section 702, he said.
“Every time she’s been in Congress and voted against it, she’s voted against the so-called 702 mandate. Well, now she’s going to be the spokesperson for the 702 mandate. ‘Okay, what are we going to do? ‘That’s a legitimate question.’Do you want to handle this? he asked.
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Cotton is chairman of the intelligence committee. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Lankford suggested this is important to other Republican senators. “I’ve never heard anyone publicly say they’re “strongly opposed to President Trump’s nominee,” he explained.
But, “What I’m hearing is a lot of people are saying, ‘I want a fair hearing. I want to be able to answer questions in public.'”
Although most Republican senators support FISA, some are vocal critics. “Voting to reauthorize FISA 702 without requiring a warrant is difficult to defend, as are the people who would cast such a vote,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). That is if you claim to care about Title IV,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was among the first to write about X. Recent FISA reauthorization.
Another prominent critic, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), wrote in 2023 that “with the 702, Americans’ communication content and metadata will inevitably be collected and used by governments without a warrant.” “Law enforcement agencies would then have unauthorized access to Americans’ communications.” It’s a warrant. ”
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Paul opposes Section 702, arguing that it is a violation of civil liberties. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Those Republicans may not be too happy about Gabbard’s change of heart. But so far, there’s no sign that that’s hurting support for her.
One Senate Republican official questioned Gabbard’s new position, noting that she has been a “lifelong skeptic of intelligence gathering.” They suggested that it was unlikely that she had “completely changed her mind”.
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Republican Senate officials told Fox News Digital that conservative senators are encouraged by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D., and his desire to confirm Trump’s candidacy on the day he is sworn in. I admitted that there was.
The group added that it hopes all national security nominees will be approved on President Trump’s first day in office.
Julia Johnson is a political writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, where she leads coverage of the U.S. Senate. She previously served as a political reporter for the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X. @juliaajohnson_ Send your tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
