Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard gave testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)
"Snowden should have raised his concerns about illegal surveillance through authorized channels, such as the Inspector General or the Intelligence Committee, instead of leaking to the media," she wrote.
Gabbard struck a different tone as a Democratic member of the House, when she introduced a resolution with former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., calling for all charges to be dropped against Snowden. She also put forth a bill that would have offered additional whistleblower protection for people like Snowden.
'WARRIOR WHOSE VOTE CANNOT BE BOUGHT': HUNDREDS OF VETS POUR OUT IN SUPPORT OF TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI
"If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American people would never have learned the NSA was collecting phone records and spying on Americans," she said on Joe Rogan's podcast in 2019.
Snowden, who now lives in exile in Russia, leaked classified documents about global surveillance programs that pitted national security concerns against privacy concerns.
If confirmed as DNI, Gabbard said she would not protect those who go outside authorized whistleblower channels to leak classified information, but she would also establish a hotline directly to herself for whistleblowers.
As a Hawaii Democrat in the House, Tulsi Gabbard had supported dropping charges against Edward Snowden. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)
During her confirmation hearing, Gabbard was also pressed on her past meetings with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, her previous Section 702 of FISA stance and her views on Russia.
While Intel Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has continued to promote Gabbard for the role. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., initially a skeptic, announced Tuesday morning he would support Gabbard's confirmation in a committee vote after receiving written assurances about her perspective on whistleblowers.
Gabbard will likely need the support of every single Republican on the committee, assuming no Democrats vote in her favor. None of the Democratic senators have said they will vote to advance her nomination.
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She clinched support from other GOP skeptics – Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, after her hearing.
Gabbard still has not won the support of Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jerry Moran, R-Kans., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and John Curtis, R-Utah.
Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi-gabbard-explains-why-she-wont-call-edward-snowden-traitor-ahead-tough-committee-vote