It is more than obvious that the failure to set a date for confirmation hearings for Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel, nominated as FBI Director, isn’t just a “scheduling” problem. The latest excuse is that the delay in setting a hearing date—President-elect Trump had wanted hearings for Gabbard and Patel to be completed by Jan. 20—is a “paperwork” problem.
Sen John Barroso (R-WY) was quoted by CBS News on Jan. 13 explaining that the delay in submitting the required paperwork for each candidate, which is a prerequisite for even setting a hearing date, is due to problems with the Office of Government Ethics. The Senate Intelligence Committee has yet to receive the FBI security clearance, Ethics Committee disclosures and completed pre-hearing questionnaires for Gabbard. As a Lt. Col. In the U.S. Army Reserves, Gabbard already obtained a full security clearance. What’s the holdup?
Gabbard has been meeting in the meantime with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, all nine Republicans and five of eight Democrats. The mainstream media continues to churn out propaganda against her, about Senators’ “doubts” about her qualifications, her alleged inability to answer their questions coherently, claims she is “confused,” etc. Among the GOP members, there are two “swing” votes—Susan Collins of Maine and Todd Young of Indiana—who have made no clear statements that they intend to confirm Gabbard.
Axios noted today that most of Trump’s nominees are “pocketing hard `yeses’ from senators” as they meet privately or appear before their committees. As of now, Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth “appears to be on a glide path to confirmation,” unless some new revelations about him appear. “The bottom line: if Democrats have any chance–and it’s slim–at helping drag down a Trump nominee, they see Gabbard as the most likely prospect.” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) considered Democrats’ grilling of Hegseth during his confirmation hearing a great success, and intends the same for Gabbard, Patel, and Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
