Stephen Hayes
Senator John Curtis sat in on Tulsi Gabbard's hearing today despite the fact that he's not on the Intel Committee. He tells @TheDispatch he leaves with "more questions than answers" and says "her responses, and non-responses, created more confusion than clarity and only deepened my concerns about her judgement and what that will mean in this vital role." Full comment: <<Today, I attended Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearing as President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence. While I am not a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have said from the beginning that I want to see the confirmation process unfold in full. For me, that has meant personally engaging with nominees—meeting with them, reviewing their past statements, reading their work, and watching their hearings. With Ms. Gabbard, I have said that it was like having a sheet of music that was missing notes. I had hoped that listening to the hearing today that she would fill in those gaps. Frankly, there are many notes still missing and a number of sour notes and awkward silences that simply don’t ring true as a political philosophy on critical national security issues. I leave today’s hearing with more questions than answers. Some of her responses, and non-responses, created more confusion than clarity and only deepened my concerns about her judgement and what that will mean in this vital role. The President needs a team that will set him up for success, and the Senate’s role in providing advice and consent is not one I take lightly. I remain committed to carefully reviewing Ms. Gabbard’s full record before making a final decision on her nomination.>>