DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard provided additional details on her meeting with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, while appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Trump's pick to head U.S. intelligence has broken with its assessments several times since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump's nominee to serve as the director of national intelligence, will testify Thursday morning at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The 43-year-old former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and combat veteran would oversee the nation's 18 spy agencies.

Senators grill Trump nominee to lead intelligence community over support for Edward Snowden, meeting with al-Assad.

Tulsi Gabbard, a veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, is set to face a skeptical Senate during her confirmation hearing Thursday for the role of director of national intelligence.

Among the topics likely to come up at the hearing: her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her friendly positions toward Russia and her push to drop charges against Edward Snowden.

Former Democrat and military veteran Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence was grilled about her past remarks supporting government whistleblower Edward Snowden as well as her relationships with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria's former dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for director of national intelligence faced its stiffest opposition yet Thursday, as senators from both parties appeared exasperated by Gabbard’s answers during a hearing Thursday.

Curt Mills Gabbard, who has a reputation as an outsider, looked like a seasoned political professional from the very start. Her opening line was a home run: She said she was motivated to be director of national intelligence because of the intelligence failures that led to the war in Iraq.

Gabbard was questioned by Republicans and Democrats alike on her views of Snowden and whether she believes he was a traitor. She declined to say she believed he was a traitor, repeating that she felt he had broken the law and reiterating a point that she has made in the past, that he exposed practices that have resulted in the reform of 702.

A trio of high-profile hearings took center stage on Capitol Hill on Thursday, with senators scrutinizing President Donald Trump’s most contentious remaining nominees. Director of national intelligence pick Tulsi Gabbard and FBI director selection Kash Patel testified for the first time,

WASHINGTON >> Former U.S. Rep.Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s choice to be director of national intelligence, faced harsh criticism of her past defense of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and comments seen as supportive of Russia at a confirmation hearing today.