Portrait of William H. Webster from the 1980s. William Hedgcock Webster (1924-) is a former director of the FBI and CIA, the only man to have ever held both positions. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
As for Gabbard, Webster criticized her "profound lack" of intelligence experience and said a seasoned leader is needed for the DNI post.
"Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations," he wrote. "Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished."
‘WARRIOR WHOSE VOTE CANNOT BE BOUGHT’: HUNDREDS OF VETS POUR OUT IN SUPPORT OF TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kash Patel as FBI director. (Getty Images)
Patel was the chief investigator in the congressional probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, uncovering government surveillance abuse that led to the appointment of two special counsels who determined that there was never any collusion and the premise of the FBI's original investigation was bogus. He has raised concern among top law enforcement professionals for his outspoken criticism of the FBI and Justice Department, accusing them of partisanship.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military officer from Hawaii, is likewise under scrutiny after she met with since-toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, who was accused of using chemical weapons on his own citizens during the country's civil war. Gabbard refused to call him a war criminal during her 2020 presidential campaign and said she was skeptical that his government had perpetrated a chemical weapons attack earlier that year that had killed dozens of Syrians. However, she later called Assad a brutal dictator.
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, arrives to meet with several Republican Senators on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Jack Gruber/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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Webster was appointed to direct the FBI by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and he remained atop the bureau under President Ronald Reagan's two terms in office. In 1988, Webster became director of the CIA under President George H.W. Bush and served through 1991.
"I urge you to weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and experience," Webster wrote. "The safety of the American people — and your own families — depends on it."
Fox News' Brooke Singman and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-fbi-cia-chief-urges-senators-sink-patel-gabbard