Tulsi Gabbard’s Senate confirmation hearing took a tense turn as she repeatedly dodged questions on whether Edward Snowden is a traitor. Her refusal to give a clear answer has only deepened concerns about her stance on government surveillance—and the fate of her nomination.
During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, Tulsi Gabbard faced persistent questioning from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Edward Snowden but refused to state whether she now considers the whistleblower a traitor.
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Her reluctance to provide a direct answer could further endanger her nomination as President Donald Trump’s choice for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), which was already on shaky ground.
Republican Senator James Lankford pressed her on the matter, characterizing Snowden’s actions as treasonous. “Was he a traitor at the time when he took America’s secrets, released them in public, and then ran to China and became a Russian citizen?” Lankford asked.
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Gabbard sidestepped the question, instead focusing on how to prevent similar incidents in the future. “I’m focused on the future and how we can prevent something like this from happening again,” she said, outlining her plans to strengthen legal whistleblower channels within the intelligence community.
When asked again, she reiterated a response that suggested she still sees value in Snowden’s revelations. “...
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