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

Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) acknowledged Gabbard’s “unconventional views,” but characterized her as free thinker who can push back on the type of mainstream foreign policy thinking that has dragged the country into disastrous wars abroad.

President Trump’s choice to serve as the director of national intelligence faced tough questions from senators in both parties.

Most Democrats and even some Republicans seemed uneasy with Tulsi Gabbard and her answers to their questions during her confirmation hearing with the Senate Intelligence Committee.

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.

With Democrats opposed and some Republican votes wavering, the committee could employ unusual maneuvers to advance Trump’s controversial pick for director of national intelligence.

Ukraine said on Wednesday it had struck a big Russian oil refinery in an overnight drone attack, and a Russian official said an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on a nuclear power plant had

Trump’s pick to be director of the FBI, loyalist KASH PATEL, was already expected to have a much easier path to confirmation than director of national intelligence nominee TULSI GABBARD. Gabbard has faced a barrage of bad headlines in recent weeks, along with open expressions of doubt from Senate Republicans.

US Senators from both sides of the aisle given pause about the nominee for the Director of National Intelligence, due to her friendliness with dictators and leniency for intel whistleblower Snowden.

The former congresswoman’s refusal to call Edward Snowden a traitor reignited GOP angst about her qualifications as director of national intelligence

President Trump’s pick to be the director of national intelligence is expected to say she will prioritize ending the “politicization” of intelligence.

Tulsi Gabbard is expected to face questions on her 2017 visit to Syria at her confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence Thursday.