Tulsi Gabbard was officially sworn in as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) at the White House on Wednesday (local time), shortly after receiving confirmation from the Senate. The oath was administered by US Attorney General Pam Bondi in the Oval Office, with President Donald Trump in attendance. The White House shared a video of the swearing-in ceremony on X.
The White House post read: “Tulsi Gabbard has officially been sworn in as Director of National Intelligence by AG Pam Bondi in the Oval Office! MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.”
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Gabbard’s Senate confirmation, announcing that her swearing-in ceremony would take place at the White House. During a press briefing, Leavitt said, “On another important matter this morning, Senate Republicans continued to confirm President Trump’s exceptionally qualified nominees, most recently Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who will be joining us later at the White House for her swearing-in ceremony. It’s imperative that the remainder of the President’s cabinet nominees are confirmed as quickly as possible.”
The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Gabbard as DNI, with the vote largely split along party lines. However, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined Democrats in opposing the confirmation, CNN reported.
Gabbard’s confirmation was contentious, as several Republican senators raised concerns about her lack of support for Ukraine, her shifting stance on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s Section 702, her 2017 meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and her past support for Edward Snowden. Despite these concerns, key swing Republican senators, including Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Todd Young (Indiana), ultimately voted in favor of her confirmation.
Gabbard’s appointment marks a significant moment, as she is President Trump’s 14th confirmed nominee since January 20. Her confirmation comes after a highly divisive and dramatic nomination process. The former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii faced intense scrutiny from Senate Intelligence Committee members over her views on surveillance and her controversial 2017 meetings in Lebanon and Syria, including one with Assad.