Democrats can't stand the idea of Tulsi Gabbard becoming President Donald Trump's Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and recently made that very clear during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
According to Real Clear Politics, during the hearing, Sen. Mark Kelly asked her why she repeated "Russian talking points" about the U.S. supporting al-Qaeda, while opposing U.S. intervention in Syria.
Gabbard is expected to pass her confirmation but some believe she could run into trouble with some Senate Democrats and even some Republicans.
The Democrat-turned-Republican admitted during the Senate hearing that she helped investigate an Obama-led program that helped train what would eventually become al-Qaeda-supporting terrorists.
The exchange with Sen. Kelly was intense, as he accused her multiple times of what he claimed to be talking points from Russia and Iran.
"Colonel Gabbard, when Russia was denying Assad's use of chemical weapons, they accused the U.S. of supporting terrorists. This is a line Putin used frequently during the Syrian civil war as he supported Assad. Syrian officials made similar comments. They did it repeatedly, they did it in public and did it at the United Nations," Kelly said.
He pointed out several other things she said over the years related to the issue.
"I am interested to hear, what was your goal in saying these things? Did you consider, before saying them, that Iran and Russia, what their motives may have been making these claims?" Kelly said before allowing her to respond.
She began her response by reminding those in attendance why she chose to enlist in the military in the first place, before expanding.
"When, as a member of Congress, I learned about President Obama's dual programs that he had begun really to overthrow the regime of Syria and, being willing through the CIA’s "Timber Sycamore" program -- now made public -- was working with, arming, and equipping al-Qaeda in an effort to overthrow that regime, starting yet another regime change war in the Middle East," Gabbard said.
She added, "The Department of Defense’s Train and Equip program, also under President Obama, has been widely known, looked at, and studied, and cresulted in over half a billion dollars being used to train what they called "moderate rebels" -- but in reality, they were fighters working with and aligned with al-Qaeda’s affiliate on the ground in Syria.
Gabbard concluded by pointing out that while she "sheds no tears" over the fall of the Assad regime, it only helped create a more radical Islamist extremist regime to take its place.
"Why that should be acceptable to anyone is beyond me," Gabbard said.
Kelly responded with, "It shouldn’t be. I appreciate your answer. My concern has to do with the tendency to repeat Russian and Syrian—and, in some cases, even Iranian—information while discounting what comes from our intelligence community."
