Trump intel director nominee Tulsi Gabbard on Friday visited the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, as America’s spy agencies prepare for a change in power next week.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines hosted Ms. Gabbard, a former congresswoman from Hawaii, at ODNI headquarters for “introductory meetings” with intelligence officials.
“ODNI is committed to a smooth transition,” the director’s office said in a statement.
The intelligence community appears to be making an effort to avoid creating obstacles for President-elect Donald Trump’s team, which will take charge amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, suspected Chinese hacking of American infrastructure, and terror in New Orleans and around the world.
Last month, Ms. Haines said U.S. officials had observed foreign adversaries seeking to take advantage of the transition and looking for areas where American officials may be distracted.
“There are certain actors that are trying to preposition themselves for a next administration,” Ms. Haines said at a Council on Foreign Relations event. “They’re making judgments about what they think the policy will be and they’re looking to sort of put themselves into a position to better position themselves for that incoming administration and what we do in that scenario [is] … our analysts write pieces about this, they try to provide that to the next administration as well as this administration during this period.”
Ms. Haines said foreign adversaries may also seek to escalate tension or press a perceived advantage during the transition. She said North Korea typically engages in some provocative action during changes in American administrations.
It is unclear precisely how long the transition period to a new leader of the intelligence community will last.
Senate Democrats have reportedly delayed hearings on Ms. Gabbard’s nomination.
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s top Democrat, has raised concerns that lawmakers had not received Ms. Gabbard’s FBI background check, ethics disclosure form or a pre-hearing questionnaire, according to Axios.
Ms. Gabbard has sought to ease the minds of lawmakers concerned about Mr. Trump’s anticipated shakeup of America’s national security and intelligence apparatus.
She told Punchbowl News last week that she supported maintaining surveillance powers for American spies that she previously sought to dismantle as a congresswoman.
Ms. Gabbard said she would work to uphold Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act if confirmed and she said her prior concerns were diminished by significant reforms enacted since she left Congress four years ago.
While Ms. Gabbard’s nomination faces hurdles on Capitol Hill, other nominees for key national security positions will begin hearings on their appointments in the coming days.
The Senate Intelligence Committee scheduled a hearing for this week on the nomination of John Ratcliffe to serve as CIA director. Mr. Ratcliffe worked as director of national intelligence during Mr. Trump’s first term.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.