Gabbard Garners Key GOP Support, Senate Intel Committee Advances Confirmation

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Gabbard, a former Congresswoman from Hawaii who previously ran for president as a Democrat before joining the Republican Party and supporting President Trump, is facing criticism from Senators over her lack of intelligence experience and her opinions on domestic surveillance powers. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:50 AM – Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Tulsi Gabbard was able to secure support from GOP senators who were previously on the fence regarding her director of national intelligence nomination, surviving a crucial Senate Intelligence Committee vote on Tuesday.

The Senate Intelligence Committee sent Gabbard’s nomination to the full Senate by a vote of 9 to 8.

Republican Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) confirmed their support for Gabbard — after previously expressing skepticism.

“American intelligence officers around the globe deserve our respect and support. I appreciate Tulsi Gabbard’s engagement with me on a variety of issues to ensure that our intelligence professionals are supported and policymakers receive unbiased information under her leadership,” Young stated on Tuesday.

“I have done what the Framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case commitments that will advance our national security, which is my top priority as a former Marine Corps intelligence officer,” Young continued. “Having now secured these commitments, I will support Tulsi’s nomination and look forward to working with her to protect our national security.”

Young’s comments of approval follow his prior concerns over Gabbard’s “dismissive” attitude towards whistleblower Edward Snowden while at her heating last week.

“I think it would benefit you, and be helpful to the way you are perceived by members of the intelligence community, if you would at least acknowledge that the greatest whistleblower in American history, so-called, harmed national security by breaking the laws of the land.”

Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, previously leaked classified documents in 2013, disclosing the massive illegal and unconstitutional global surveillance programs that the NSA was conducting, which included the mass surveillance of everyday Americans, among other illicit programs.

Meanwhile, Collins further confirmed her support for Gabbard on Monday, stating “After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence.

Collins previously voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, showcasing her willingness to defy the GOP and President Donald Trump’s preferred candidates.

Collins added: “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.”

Another point of contention was Gabbard’s previous opposition against Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702, which provides the federal intelligence apparatus to spy on non-Americans living abroad. Gabbard previously expressed concern that the program could violate the Fourth Amendment by “accidentally” collecting information on U.S. citizens.

However, after certain provisions were made that would disallow the possibility of these concerns to occur, Gabbard quickly changed her tune during the previous hearing.

“The national security capability that is provided by Section 702, that enables this foreign surveillance on non-U.S. persons overseas, is critical — period,” she affirmed during her hearing, calming one of Collins’ concerns.

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Senate Advances Hegseth Nomination To Lead Department Of Defense Before Friday’s Final Decision

Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth attends the Commander and Chief Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump will attend some of the inaugural balls after taking the oath as the 47th president. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth attends the Commander and Chief Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump will attend some of the inaugural balls after taking the oath as the 47th president. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Abril Elfi
3:10 PM – Thursday, January 23, 2025

The Senate has voted to advance the nomination of Pete Hegseth as the new secretary of the Department of Defense. 

On Thursday, the Senate advanced Hegseth’s nomination, despite objections from Democrats and some Republicans who have questioned his ability to lead the military. 

One Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), posted on X in regard to the Senate’s advancement, asserting that she would not be voting in favor of confirming Hegseth. 

“After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense,” Murkowski said in a statement on Thursday. “I did not make this decision lightly; I take my constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent with the utmost seriousness.”

Murkowski continued, attempting to raise concerns about Hegseth’s “lack of experience” in comparable executive positions, his previous “remarks on women” in combat, and the anonymous accusations of alcohol abuse and alleged sexual misconduct lodged against him.

Nevertheless, Hegseth has adamantly refuted these claims on numerous occasions.

According to Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, evidence gathered by a California DA’s office purportedly includes proof that the anonymous female accuser had filed false claims of sexual assault against another man in a different jurisdiction. Parlatore has been working to have these documents released to the public.

A spokeswoman for the Trump administration declared on Thursday that the “[22-page police report] corroborates what Mr. Hegseth’s attorneys have said all along. The incident was fully investigated and no charges were filed because police found the allegations to be false.” Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni also admitted that her office could not file charges since it didn’t have “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Despite this, Murkowski continued to explain her position.

“Although he has recently revised his statements on women in combat since being nominated, I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,” Murkowski said. “Women have served our nation with distinction, overcoming immense obstacles to excel in combat and leadership roles, and they deserve to know that their leader honors and values their commitment to our nation.

“While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces,” Murkowski added. “Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold those same standards.”

Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) similarly voted not to confirm Hegseth — due to the allegations against him. 

The 51-49 vote to end debate on Hegseth’s nomination sets the stage for a final confirmation vote on Friday, when he is anticipated to secure the majority support he needs to join Trump’s Cabinet.

The Armed Services panel voted along party lines, 14-13, to waive the seven-day rule and advance the nominee.

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Robert Spencer at Restoration Weekend: The Global Jihad Has Advanced Since 9-11

Beware of the falsehood that Islam is peaceful -- and that jihad is an interior spiritual struggle.

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Below is the video of remarks given by Robert Spencer at the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s 2024 Restoration Weekend. The event was held Nov. 21-24 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Naples, Florida.

Europe’s Muslim Population Is Rising And Jews Are Leaving.

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Throughout Western Europe, the Muslim percentage of the population is growing steadily, both from continued immigration and from much higher birth rates among Muslims than those exhibited by the indigenous non-Muslim population. There are now an estimated forty-four million Muslims in Europe, about 5% of the population. That number is expected to rise to 7.5% of the population — if nothing is done to halt Muslim immigration — by 2050. And growing antisemitism, which is encouraged and spread mainly by those Muslim migrants, is causing more Jews to think of leaving Europe for Israel or North America. More on this disturbing development can be found here: “Islam conquers Europe and Jews flee,” by Giulio Meotti, Israel National News, December 18, 2024:

…“Islam is advancing and I see in the West a desire to disappear,” Michel Houellebecq told the Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera.

In the Paris of the author of “Submission”, a dystopian novel that has become a daily chronicle, the famous philosopher Pierre Manent has just been reported to the judiciary, guilty of having said that “the number of Muslims in France cannot be allowed to grow at an indefinite rate. Secularism can more easily move a statue of Saint Michael than transform Islam. Failure to act could lead to a tragedy that no version of secularism will enable us to face”. Left-wing deputies have denounced him. “Incitement to hatred”. Article 40 of the penal code.

Pierre Manent’s statement is not one meant to incite hatred. He is, rather, a vox clamantis in deserto, a bleak Cassandra who sees, and fears, the ongoing Islamization of Europe. Without hate, but with foreboding. They are different things.

“Victims of antisemitism and Islamism, unite! The time of pogroms has returned, the Jews know it and have been saying it for a long time,” said the courageous Algerian writer Boualem Sansal.

Boualem Sansal is an Algerian novelist and essayist who deserves to be widely known outside the francophone world. He writes in French. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Editions Gallimard Arabic Novel prize for his book Rue Darwin. The prize is awarded by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Paris. However, after the council learned that Sansal had taken part in the Jerusalem Writers Festival earlier that year, they decided not to award him the prize money of 15,000 euros. Sansal fought back, describing the decision as “completely unacceptable.” Arab countries – and especially his own country of Algeria – he said had “locked themselves in a prison of intolerance.” France Culture radio director Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, who headed the predominantly Arab jury that awarded the prize, resigned his post in protest, claiming that the prize money had been withdrawn as a “sordid” consequence of pressure from the terror group Hamas. D’Avram explained that “between being nominated for the prize and receiving it, Boualem Sansal visited Israel … Hamas immediately issued a statement calling his presence an act of treason against the Palestinians. The reaction of the Arab Ambassadors Council was a direct result of this.”

Sansal has always maintained that he does not regret visiting Israel. “I am glad I visited Israel and returned with great happiness.” He also said that “Israelis have all the reasons in the world to be proud of what they have achieved in their country in such a short period of time…In so many fields, Israel is at the international forefront and it is very impressive.”

Sansal also said that he was moved by support he had received from Avigdor Lieberman, who as Israel’s Minister of Culture had denounced the Arab boycott of Sansal for having visited Israel. Sansal said of Lieberman: “His statement was so gracious in comparison to Arab governments. He told them: ‘You’re persecuting intellectuals. We embrace them and care for their safety. That is why your citizens are rebelling against you.’ That is a harsh blow to Arab governments.”  And while he had nothing but praise for Lieberman and for Israel, Sansal criticized Hamas as well, saying that it was a terrorist movement that “has taken Gazans hostage. It has taken Islam hostage.”

It is Sansal, an Algerian born into Islam (but who I assume is no longer a believer), who is alarmed about a future Muslim takeover of Europe, and about the jihadism that is now spreading and poisoning the minds of young Muslims. If you won’t listen to such Infidels as Robert Spencer on the future of an ever-more-islamizing Europe, then for god’s sake listen to the former Muslim Boualem Sansal.