In the letter obtained by NBC News, the officials urged the Senate to “carefully evaluate” whether Gabbard is “equipped” for the position, which requires Senate confirmation.

Summary

Nearly 100 former national security officials expressed alarm over Trump’s nomination of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence due to her past alignment with Russian and Syrian officials and lack of experience.

In a letter, they urged Senate committees to hold closed-door hearings to assess her qualifications and review any government-held information about her.

Critics highlighted her controversial 2017 trip to Syria to meet Bashar al-Assad and her questioning of U.S. intelligence.

Gabbard’s spokesperson dismissed the criticism as partisan attacks, while the Senate confirmation process is expected to be contentious.