Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) questioned President-elect Trump’s resolution to raise former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R) to function his director of nationwide intelligence (DNI), arguing the choice is a “pro-war nomination globally.”
“I actually think almost more than Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard’s appointment is devastating,” Ocasio-Cortez mentioned Thursday in an interview on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut.”
“And Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination, as much as she says that she’s an anti-war person, she’s not,” the New York lawmaker mentioned. “She supports very pro-war individuals… and let’s be very clear — a Tulsi Gabbard nomination is a pro-war nomination globally. Point blank, period.”
Her feedback got here a day after Trump tapped Gabbard — a former Democrat turned Republican — for the highest intelligence place. She’s going to seemingly have an uphill battle relating to affirmation by way of the Senate.
The president-elect, nonetheless, has proven openness to sidestepping the method by counting on recess appointments.
Gabbard served 4 phrases within the Home earlier than she ran an unsuccessful presidential bid within the 2020 Democratic main. She exited the celebration in 2022 registering as an impartial, and formally joined the GOP ranks final month.
The previous lawmaker, who has lengthy been crucial of the Biden administration’s stance relating to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, endorsed Trump in August and helped him put together for his debate towards Vice President Harris.
Her choice caught many within the nationwide safety realm abruptly. Some have expressed concern over her previous controversial feedback whereas others argued she doesn’t have the requisite expertise.
“She’s by no means managed something bigger than a congressional workplace or possibly like a brigade. That’s quite a bit completely different than making an attempt to orchestrate and coordinate this wild session of intel components that we name the U.S. intelligence neighborhood,” said Larry Pfeiffer, a former senior director of the White House Situation Room. “I believe she isn’t actually ready for that.”
Former Homeland Safety Secretary Jeh Johnson, who served below the Obama administration, argued that some skepticism of intelligence will be “good.”
“I’m going to shock you a bit bit. I don’t assume that it’s an absolute prerequisite that the Director of Nationwide Intelligence be somebody of the intelligence neighborhood,” he said. “I additionally imagine that every so often it’s an excellent factor to be skeptical of the intelligence that we’re offered.”
Throughout her interview on MSNBC, Ocasio-Cortez additionally criticized Trump’s nomination of environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to helm the Division of Well being and Human Companies.
“You have a baby, and anywhere in the world, I mean, protecting against polio, against measles, against very serious communicable diseases that, I mean, we would be talking about going back to the, what, the 1700s, 1800s,” she mentioned.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s transition staff for remark.
