Border Patrol Union Endorses Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence Position

President-elect Donald Trump nominated the previous congresswoman for the position in November.

Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination for director of nationwide intelligence (DNI), picked up a key endorsement from the Nationwide Border Patrol Council (NBPC).

The NBPC—a labor union representing 18,000 Border Patrol brokers and assist personnel throughout the nation—endorsed Gabbard in a on Dec. 17. letter addressed to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

Cotton is extensively anticipated to be the subsequent chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the place he would oversee nationwide intelligence issues within the Senate, in response to a number of stories.

His workplace has neither confirmed nor denied the stories.

“I write to specific our full and whole assist for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be the Director of Nationwide Intelligence (DNI), former U.S. Consultant and Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard,” the union’s president, Paul Perez, wrote within the letter to Cotton. “We have now little doubt that Lt. Col. Gabbard is the correct particular person to be the DNI and can work tirelessly to maintain our nation protected, simply as she has completed for the previous 20 years.”

Perez went on to tout Gabbard’s navy service as an indication of her robust management. Gabbard joined the Hawaii Military Nationwide Guard in 2003 and transferred to the Military Reserve in 2020. She at the moment holds the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Throughout her time within the navy, Gabbard witnessed firsthand “the threats posed by overseas terrorists and those that wish to do America hurt,” in response to Perez.

These threats are “extra prevalent now than ever” partially because of the federal authorities’s border insurance policies, he mentioned.

The union boss mentioned the U.S. Intelligence Neighborhood (IC), led by the DNI, performs an “integral position” in securing the border from threats together with transnational legal organizations working in North, Central, and South America, and overseas terrorist organizations.

Such hostile actors will “all the time try to take advantage of our unsecure borders to additional their actions that threaten the American individuals,” he mentioned. “With the intention to adequately confront these threats, the IC should have robust, brave and competent management – that chief is Lt. Col. Gabbard.”

Trump introduced in November that he was nominating Gabbard to function the director of nationwide intelligence position in his incoming administration.

“For over 20 years, Tulsi has fought for our Nation and the Freedoms of all People,” Trump mentioned in a press release shared by his marketing campaign workforce. “As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad assist in each Events – She is now a proud Republican!”

Trump mentioned that Gabbard will deliver to the position “the fearless spirit that has outlined her illustrious profession” and can champion constitutional rights whereas “securing Peace by means of Power.”

“Tulsi will make us all proud!” Trump mentioned.

Within the weeks since her nomination, Gabbard has been on Capitol Hill in search of to achieve the backing of the Senate GOP convention. She additionally met with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, hoping to achieve their assist.

Whereas many Republicans have publicly expressed assist for her, some senators have been skeptical of her nomination amid what they are saying are issues over her 2017 go to to Syria, the place she met with then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In a letter to Senate leaders final week, practically 100 former officers who served in each Democratic and Republican administrations mentioned they have been alarmed by Gabbard’s nomination to supervise all 18 U.S. intelligence businesses and referred to as for closed-door hearings to evaluate the nomination.

They mentioned her previous actions “name into query her means to ship unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the whole nationwide safety equipment.”

Gabbard has described the go to to Syria as a “fact-finding mission.”

The previous Hawaii congresswoman mentioned she helps Trump’s stance that the USA should not have any involvement in Syria, the place Assad’s regime has now fallen.

On Dec. 9, Gabbard met with Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), each members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

Ernst described Gabbard as “a powerful and confirmed chief,” and posted a photograph of the 2 to social media platform X after their assembly.

Rounds mentioned he was “wanting ahead to working along with her as she continues to maneuver by means of the affirmation course of,” and described their assembly as “glorious.”

In a submit on X, Lankford mentioned he and Gabbard had an amazing assembly.

Joseph Lord and Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.