“MSNBC’s Jen Psaki Slams Trump’s Pick Tulsi Gabbard Over Report Claiming Witness Wore Mask Fearing Exposure”
MSNBC host Jen Psaki, who used to work as President Biden’s press secretary, has strongly criticized Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI). Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who switched to the Republican Party, is Donald Trump’s pick to be the director of national intelligence.
Psaki’s criticism was based on a detailed report about Gabbard’s controversial actions and concerns raised by Congress about her handling of sensitive information.
Gabbard has faced accusations for years from both Democrats and foreign policy experts. Some believe she is too sympathetic to Russia and Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Assad, who ruled Syria for decades with support from Russia and Iran, was recently forced to flee the country after years of war and global criticism for his brutal leadership. Amnesty International has described Assad’s regime as responsible for war crimes like chemical weapons attacks, torture, and killings.
Despite these atrocities, Gabbard visited Syria in 2017 and even met with Assad personally. When she returned to the U.S., she questioned intelligence reports that Assad used chemical weapons on his own people. Many saw her comments as repeating propaganda from Russia and the Assad regime. This made her a controversial figure, especially regarding U.S. foreign policy.
On her MSNBC show Inside With Jen Psaki, Psaki discussed a troubling story about Gabbard from 2018. A Syrian defector, known by the code name “Caesar,” had secretly testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Caesar had brought evidence of Assad’s crimes, including photos of torture and killings. To protect his identity, he wore a mask during the closed-door meeting. Congressional aides were worried that Gabbard might reveal Caesar’s identity or share information with someone linked to the Assad regime. Because of this fear, both Democratic and Republican staff members made sure Caesar covered his face before Gabbard entered the room.
These concerns about Gabbard’s loyalty and judgment raise questions about her suitability to lead America’s intelligence community.
As director of national intelligence, she would be responsible for handling the country’s most sensitive secrets, a role that requires absolute trust. However, many experts believe Gabbard cannot be trusted with such responsibility.
A spokesperson for Trump’s team has denied these claims, calling them baseless and politically motivated. They argue that Gabbard has a top-secret security clearance and has never broken rules about classified information. But the doubts surrounding her past actions remain a key reason why so many national security experts oppose her nomination.
