The Senators Who Might Halt Tulsi Gabbard
Discover the key figures within the GOP who are making a significant impact, along with another four individuals to keep an eye on.
TroibNews 
Tulsi Gabbard finds herself in a precarious position with Senate Republicans as her nomination for director of national intelligence approaches a crucial hearing this Thursday. The outcome of her nomination largely depends on a select group of undecided GOP senators: Maine's Susan Collins, Indiana's Todd Young, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, and Utah's John Curtis.
Gabbard's path to the Senate floor is uncertain. With a slim one-seat Republican majority on the Intelligence Committee and Democrats firmly opposed, the dissent of just one Republican could thwart her nomination entirely. Three GOP members of the committee remain undecided, largely due to her unconventional background and her past criticisms of the national security establishment.
The former Democratic representative from Hawaii lacks a reservoir of goodwill to rely on, so she will need to persuade her Republican skeptics both within the committee and beyond, including in a private session where they will question her on sensitive intelligence topics.
“The key to it all, of course, is the hearing … and how she handles the questions and then we’ll see where it goes from there,” stated Senate Majority Leader John Thune in an interview last week.
Here’s a closer look at the senators being monitored as Thursday approaches:
**Susan Collins**
Collins is perceived as the Republican most likely to oppose Gabbard within the Intelligence Committee. This stems from her background as the last remaining blue-state GOP moderate, often willing to break from her party's line; she recently voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Collins has expressed lingering concerns regarding Gabbard, which arose during their closed-door meeting last year where she queried Gabbard about her previous encounter with Bashar al-Assad, her stance on Ukraine and Vladimir Putin, and her support for a resolution in favor of NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Collins remains undecided and is expected to raise her concerns on Thursday.
**Todd Young**
Young, another member of the Intelligence Committee, has not publicly committed to supporting Gabbard. He is seen as a potential "no" vote, given his advocacy for a strong American foreign policy, contrasting with the party’s current isolationist trends. He was among a few congressional Republicans who openly distanced themselves from Trump during the presidential campaign. While he has downplayed specific concerns about Gabbard following their recent meeting, he has indicated that he has unresolved questions for her at the upcoming hearing.
**Mitch McConnell**
McConnell’s vote against Hegseth raises caution for Gabbard. While he has not made a direct comment on her nomination, his views are generally opposed to hers, particularly regarding surveillance programs and U.S. support for Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia. McConnell has made it clear that he will support national security nominees who he believes will be assets rather than liabilities, a sentiment that could very well apply to Gabbard’s situation.
**John Curtis**
Curtis has emerged as a wild card, commenting recently that Gabbard has not yet done enough to secure his support. "The biggest problem for me is she's been so low-profile," he remarked. "I need more information to start filling that in, and, look, if I can't fill that in, I can't vote for her." Although many new GOP senators are aligned with Trump, Curtis is viewed as more moderate, creating the potential for him to swing either way.
**We’re Also Watching…**
Senator Lisa Murkowski, who frequently aligns with Collins against Trump’s nominees, has a vested interest in Gabbard's stance on Russia due to its military activities near Alaska. Additionally, Senator Jerry Moran has chosen to remain silent regarding Gabbard’s nomination, asserting that he refrains from deciding on nominees before their respective hearings. Senator Thom Tillis has expressed a "presumption of a yes vote" for nominees receiving unanimous GOP support in committee, indicating he may be inclined to take a closer look if that support doesn't materialize.
John Sakellariadis contributed to this report.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Gabbard's path to the Senate floor is uncertain. With a slim one-seat Republican majority on the Intelligence Committee and Democrats firmly opposed, the dissent of just one Republican could thwart her nomination entirely. Three GOP members of the committee remain undecided, largely due to her unconventional background and her past criticisms of the national security establishment.
The former Democratic representative from Hawaii lacks a reservoir of goodwill to rely on, so she will need to persuade her Republican skeptics both within the committee and beyond, including in a private session where they will question her on sensitive intelligence topics.
“The key to it all, of course, is the hearing … and how she handles the questions and then we’ll see where it goes from there,” stated Senate Majority Leader John Thune in an interview last week.
Here’s a closer look at the senators being monitored as Thursday approaches:
**Susan Collins**
Collins is perceived as the Republican most likely to oppose Gabbard within the Intelligence Committee. This stems from her background as the last remaining blue-state GOP moderate, often willing to break from her party's line; she recently voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Collins has expressed lingering concerns regarding Gabbard, which arose during their closed-door meeting last year where she queried Gabbard about her previous encounter with Bashar al-Assad, her stance on Ukraine and Vladimir Putin, and her support for a resolution in favor of NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Collins remains undecided and is expected to raise her concerns on Thursday.
**Todd Young**
Young, another member of the Intelligence Committee, has not publicly committed to supporting Gabbard. He is seen as a potential "no" vote, given his advocacy for a strong American foreign policy, contrasting with the party’s current isolationist trends. He was among a few congressional Republicans who openly distanced themselves from Trump during the presidential campaign. While he has downplayed specific concerns about Gabbard following their recent meeting, he has indicated that he has unresolved questions for her at the upcoming hearing.
**Mitch McConnell**
McConnell’s vote against Hegseth raises caution for Gabbard. While he has not made a direct comment on her nomination, his views are generally opposed to hers, particularly regarding surveillance programs and U.S. support for Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia. McConnell has made it clear that he will support national security nominees who he believes will be assets rather than liabilities, a sentiment that could very well apply to Gabbard’s situation.
**John Curtis**
Curtis has emerged as a wild card, commenting recently that Gabbard has not yet done enough to secure his support. "The biggest problem for me is she's been so low-profile," he remarked. "I need more information to start filling that in, and, look, if I can't fill that in, I can't vote for her." Although many new GOP senators are aligned with Trump, Curtis is viewed as more moderate, creating the potential for him to swing either way.
**We’re Also Watching…**
Senator Lisa Murkowski, who frequently aligns with Collins against Trump’s nominees, has a vested interest in Gabbard's stance on Russia due to its military activities near Alaska. Additionally, Senator Jerry Moran has chosen to remain silent regarding Gabbard’s nomination, asserting that he refrains from deciding on nominees before their respective hearings. Senator Thom Tillis has expressed a "presumption of a yes vote" for nominees receiving unanimous GOP support in committee, indicating he may be inclined to take a closer look if that support doesn't materialize.
John Sakellariadis contributed to this report.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
