Tulsi Gabbard confirmed as director of national intelligence, overcoming skepticism

The U.S. Senate has confirmed former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to lead the intelligence community as director of national intelligence, despite initial skepticism.

Gabbard was confirmed 52-48 on Wednesday after gaining broad support from Republicans during the confirmation process.

In addition to criticism about her lack of experience in intelligence, Gabbard fought back against concerns about her past statements about autocratic leaders, such as Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin. She deflected questions about her past defense of Edward Snowden, who leaked NSA secrets in 2013.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., maintained his opposition to Gabbard and issued a statement after the vote saying that she "failed to demonstrate that she is prepared to assume this national trust."

"The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a Director of National Intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment," he added. McConnell was the sole Republican vote against her confirmation.

Gabbard, a 43-year-old U.S. Army Reservist who unsuccessfully ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, will be responsible for leading 18 intelligence agencies and managing billions of dollars in budget.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called Gabbard a "patriot" who is "motivated by service" on the chamber floor on Tuesday.

"The intelligence community needs to refocus on its core mission, collecting intelligence and providing unbiased analysis of that information. That's what Tulsi Gabbard is committed to ensuring," he said.