Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the director of national intelligence, will testify at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday morning.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, is expected to play a key role at Gabbard’s confirmation. Maine’s senior senator previously voted against advancing Pete Hegseth for the role of United States Secretary of Defense, although he was confirmed for the role last Saturday after receiving a majority of votes from Senate Republicans.
Collins did join independent U.S. Sen. Angus King to vote in favor of John Ratcliffe being appointed director of the CIA.
Collins will make an appearance Thursday at confirmation hearings for Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose hearings for his appointment as the top U.S. health administration official started Wednesday morning.
Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020.
But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia.
Her confirmation hearing starts at 10 a.m. Thursday morning at Capitol Hill.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
