Ms. Gabbard grew up in a secretive offshoot of the Hare Krishna movement and has made a dizzying journey from conservative to liberal darling to Trump ally.

At the end of the day, a 50-50 tie was broken by Vice President JD Vance, confirming Hegseth and handing Trump a big win as he attempts to quickly fill key posts so he can begin implementing the kinds of changes and policies that won him a historic victory in November.

Jan. 26 Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC he is inclined to vote in favor of all of Trump’s nominees, but wants to “see how the hearing goes,” specifically citing Gabbard’s controversial visit to Syria and her previous call for National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

Vice President JD Vance said bureaucrats at U.S. intelligence services were “out of control” and he defended Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head those services, as the right person for the job.

Kash Patel to run the FBI? He “probably has a big misstep that is hanging over his head, but ultimately, he is in relatively good shape,” the member said, referring to Patel’s past penchant for compiling enemies’ lists and openly discussing legal vengeance.