Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, arrives to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
Gabbard was advanced out of the committee along party lines, 9-8.
She received a last-minute endorsement from Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the committee, minutes after the vote was scheduled to get underway.
"I will be voting today for [Gabbard] to serve as President Trump’s Director of National Intelligence. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Tulsi throughout the confirmation process, and I’m confident she will bring a fresh perspective to President Trump’s national security team and the intelligence community. Tulsi and President Trump have my support," he wrote on X.
Some issues the nominee has been pressed on during her confirmation process are her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her previous FISA Section 702 stance and her past support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
She faced questions about each in her hearing last week.
Gabbard managed to impress some Republicans on the Intel committee with her answers, as both Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, revealed afterward that they would vote to advance her.
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Young didn't say how he planned to vote. (Alex Wong)
In a since-deleted post on X the weekend prior, Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk slammed Young as a "deep state puppet" in regard to his uncertainty about Gabbard.
But the two seemed to patch things up on a phone call soon after.
Musk criticized the senator for his hesitance. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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A spokesperson for Young told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a great conversation on a number of subjects and policy areas where they have a shared interest, like DOGE."
Musk also shared on X over the weekend, "Just had an excellent conversation with [Young]. I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy."
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi-gabbard-advances-out-intel-committee-boost-confirmation-odds