Tulsi Gabbard's uphill battle to win confirmation as the nation's top intel chief
NPRTulsi Gabbard's uphill battle to win confirmation as the nation's top intel chief Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat who joined the Republican party this year, is facing an uphill battle to win Senate confirmation as country's top intel chief. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Senators have spent the past several weeks meeting with President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks that include some more controversial names, like Tulsi Gabbard, who's facing an uphill battle to win senate confirmation as the country's top intelligence chief. Publicly, Senate Republicans are treading lightly when addressing Gabbard's switch to the Republican Party, her rapid rise in Trump's orbit and her history of defending Russian President Vladimir Putin. GRISALES: Trump allies hope their Republican control of government in January will be enough to pressure skeptical senators in Gabbard's favor.