Aspiring spy boss Tulsi Gabbard defended most of her controversial foreign policy takes during a lively Senate hearing Thursday, including her meeting with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and her prior doubts about the legitimacy of US intelligence on his use of chemical weapons against his own people.

Senators quizzed Trump's pick for Director of National Intelligence on her past support for leaker Edward Snowden and for meeting with Syrian dictator Basha al-Assad.

Facing more than a dozen questions about her views on NSA leaker Edward Snowden, Tulsi Gabbard held her ground at her Senate confirmation hearing.

Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, refused to fully denounce the 2013 leaks by Edward J. Snowden, eliciting concern from both parties.

Senators questioned Gabbard about views seen as echoing Russia's justification of its war, criticism of US involvement in Syria and a 2017 meeting with Bashar al-Assad.

Among the topics that came up: her stance on an electronic surveillance program, her push to drop charges against Edward Snowden and her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Gabbard, a former congresswoman and an Army Reserve officer, faced challenging questions from senators on both sides of the aisle during her confirmation hearing to become director of national intelligence.

In 2020, then-Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard introduced legislation calling on the federal government to drop all charges against Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who in 2013 revealed the existence of the bulk collection of American phone records by the NSA before fleeing to Russia.

President Trump’s controversial pick for national intelligence chief angered Republicans by refusing to condemn government leaker Edward Snowden.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was grilled on Capitol Hill Thursday and one Republican is worried her nomination as Director of National Intelligence could be in “jeopardy.” Senator […]

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence also faced questions from Senators Thursday, who grilled the former Hawaii congressmember about Edward Snowden; her 2017 meeting with Syria’s then-leader Bashar al-Assad;