What Do Republicans Say About Gabbard?
So far, no Republican senators have said they’ll vote against Gabbard, but several, in addition to Graham, have expressed reservations, including Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Mike Rounds, R-S.D. Collins specifically citing her views on Russia as a deterrent. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., also initially questioned whether Gabbard would support Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. government to conduct surveillance of non-citizens abroad without a warrant. Gabbard voted against legislation authorizing the act during her time in Congress, but reversed course after she was nominated for director of national intelligence, issuing a statement earlier this month stating her support for the surveillance program. Lankford said publicly he would support her after she endorsed Section 702.