President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman actively serving as an Army Reserve officer, to be his director of national intelligence (DNI). If confirmed, Gabbard would be responsible for overseeing the U.S. government’s intelligence-gathering efforts and coordinating intelligence sharing between the United States and its allies and partners. Trump praised Gabbard’s “fearless spirit” and expressed confidence in her ability to champion constitutional rights and secure peace through strength. Gabbard, known for her military service and anti-war activism, has become increasingly aligned with the Republican Party, endorsing Trump’s 2024 presidential run and officially announcing herself as a Republican in October 2022. Despite her lack of extensive intelligence background, Gabbard’s nomination for the DNI position highlights Trump’s plans to potentially overhaul the U.S. intelligence community. The Department of Defense has confirmed that its Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) has assisted Ukraine in disposing of Soviet-era biological weapons and supporting laboratories in Ukraine for biological threat detection. Gabbard responded to criticisms regarding her comments on biological labs, emphasizing the importance of facts and truth.
Throughout the 2024 election cycle, Trump has expressed a preference for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through negotiations. Gabbard has advocated for leniency for Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, supporting their efforts to disclose U.S. national security information.
Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, claimed his actions were journalistic, while Snowden, a former NSA contractor, exposed the agency’s surveillance practices. Gabbard called on Trump to pardon Assange and Snowden, citing threats to journalists and whistleblowers.
In courting Libertarian voters, Trump indicated he would consider pardoning Assange if reelected. Assange recently avoided prison time after pleading guilty to a felony count. Snowden currently resides in Russia and faces charges under the Espionage Act.
The information provided is sourced from Reuters and The Associated Press.
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