Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s Intel Chief Nominee, Grilled Over Putin and Ukraine

1/31/2025

In a tense Senate hearing, Tulsi Gabbard, nominated by Trump for Intel Chief, faced intense questioning over her controversial comments about Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Senators pressed her on her previous statements, accusing her of justifying Russia's actions. The heated exchange unfolded as Gabbard defended her position, but the backlash was swift, leaving her under fire for aligning with Russia’s narrative.

Watch the full fiery exchange here.

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Transcript

00:00Let me, let me ask you, I've worked very hard to put your own words here in front of the committee,

00:06not, you know, fake news, not conspiracy theories on the internet, but the actual

00:12things that you have said. On February 23rd, 2022, at the very moment that Russian tanks

00:21were rolling across the peaceful border of Ukraine for the first time, you tweeted at 1130 p.m.

00:30Your time. This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden administration

00:36slash NATO had simply acknowledged Russia's legitimate, legitimate security concerns

00:43regarding Ukraine's becoming a member of NATO. Did you say that? Yes or no?

00:48I believe you're reading my tweet, Senator.

00:50Yes, is the answer. A few months later, you said on your podcast, and I quoted it,

00:57quote, but this regime change war against Russia that the U.S. and NATO are waging

01:04via their proxy in Ukraine didn't begin when Putin invaded Ukraine.

01:10They had their eyes set on this objective long before that. Did you say that? Yes or no?

01:16I believe you're reading my tweet.

01:18There is a lot more. Yes.

01:20You're quoting a podcast that provided a conversation with the chairman about

01:24whether I'm taking anything out of context. I don't think I am. And your answer is yes.

01:30Are you aware that your comments about proxy wars and Russia's legitimate,

01:37legitimate security concerns to quote your own words are in alignment with what

01:46the Russians have said to justify their invasion of Ukraine? Yes or no?

01:53Senator, I don't pay attention to Russian propaganda. My goal is to speak the truth,

01:59regardless of whether you like it or not.

02:01I'll take that. That's fine. You said you are used to speaking truth to power.

02:05I'm shocked to hear you now say that, you know, you are agreeing. I'm not shocked because I know

02:13you said it. You are agreeing that you basically said that Putin was justified in rolling over

02:19the peaceful border of Ukraine the first time since World War II that a free nation had been

02:26invaded by a totalitarian state. And you were there at 1130 p.m. that night to say that you were with

02:36them, not us. And let me tell you something. You say you don't know because you don't read

02:40Russian propaganda. Russian state TV then aired your comments. Did you know that?

02:46Senator, I think you should also quote the statement that I made criticizing Putin for

02:52his invasion of Ukraine. What I would say, what I would say, Mr. Chairman, with the last, it's up

02:57to all of us. We're the Senate. We get to decide whether we're going to confirm this nominee.

03:03Obviously, we didn't select this nominee. But can't we do better than somebody who doesn't

03:08believe in 702? Can't we believe that somebody who can't answer whether Snowden was a traitor

03:14five times today, who made excuses for Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine the first time that

03:25I'm aware of any American official has done that? I'm questioning her judgment. That's the issue

03:33that's at stake here. And as you said, and I totally agree, this is about our intelligence

03:40officers. And you cannot answer. Most of what we do here is in secret. This is one of the very

03:47few opportunities that you will ever have to have a conversation with this panel in public.

03:53And the record is going to be very clear about the position you took with regard to Edward Snowden.

03:59And the record is going to be very clear about your reaffirmation of the statements you made

04:05in the middle of the night when Russia was invading the free country of Ukraine. And I

04:12hope you will take that into consideration when we have this vote. Your time has expired.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s Intel Chief Nominee, Grilled Over Putin and Ukraine | Watch Fiery Exchange

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