Tulsi Gabbard appears to be seeking to assuage senators’ concerns about her nomination in a new opinion piece explaining why she thought ‘traitor’ was too harsh a word for Edward Snowden. 

Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence (DNI), did not endorse Snowden’s whistleblowing actions during her confirmation hearing, but her refusal to call him a traitor left some Republicans unsettled. 

She admitted that Snowden’s release of classified information to the media ‘harmed our national security’ but also ‘revealed illegal and unconstitutional government programs that conducted mass surveillance of millions of Americans’ data.’

Gabbard elaborated in a Newsweek op-ed. ‘Given the interest by committee members about whether Edward Snowden should be called a ‘traitor,’ here’s what I shared with the Senate Intelligence Committee in the closed session about why I do not casually throw around that term: Treason is a capital offense, punishable by death, yet politicians like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US Senator Mitt Romney have slandered me, Donald Trump Jr. and others with baseless accusations of treason.’

‘Snowden should have raised his concerns about illegal surveillance through authorized channels, such as the Inspector General or the Intelligence Committee, instead of leaking to the media,’ she wrote. 

Gabbard struck a different tone as a Democratic member of the House, when she introduced a resolution with former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., calling for all charges to be dropped against Snowden. She also put forth a bill that would have offered additional whistleblower protection for people like Snowden.

‘If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American people would never have learned the NSA was collecting phone records and spying on Americans,’ she said on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2019. 

Snowden, who now lives in exile in Russia, leaked classified documents about global surveillance programs that pitted national security concerns against privacy concerns. 

If confirmed as DNI, Gabbard said she would not protect those who go outside authorized whistleblower channels to leak classified information, but she would also establish a hotline directly to herself for whistleblowers. 

Gabbard added that she would institute proper oversight to protect against illegal intelligence collection programs and conduct security clearance reform to minimize access to highly classified intelligence. 

She also promised to end ‘weaponization’ of the intelligence community and pointed to the Iraq War as a prime ‘failure of intelligence.’ 

‘This disastrous decision led to the deaths of thousands… And it led to the rise of ISIS, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other Islamist Jihadist groups, and the emboldening of Iran.’

During her confirmation hearing, Gabbard was also pressed on her past meetings with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, her previous Section 702 of FISA stance and her views on Russia. 

While Intel Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has continued to promote Gabbard for the role. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., initially a skeptic, announced Tuesday morning he would support Gabbard’s confirmation in a committee vote after receiving written assurances about her perspective on whistleblowers. 

Gabbard will likely need the support of every single Republican on the committee, assuming no Democrats vote in her favor. None of the Democratic senators have said they will vote to advance her nomination.

She clinched support from other GOP senators – James Lankford, Okla., John Cornyn, Texas, and Susan Collins, Maine, after her hearing.

Gabbard still has not won the support of Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell, Ky., Jerry Moran, Kan., Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, and John Curtis, Utah.

Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will advance to the next step in his effort to become Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary. The vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump sustained his bid for a cabinet position in the 47th president’s administration.

The 27-member panel of 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats on the Senate finance committee approved Kennedy’s advancement by a party line vote of 14-13.

Kennedy’s controversial nomination has progressed slowly as the president’s other choices have been moving through the upper chamber and several have been confirmed and sworn in. Even Trump’s controversial Defense Secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, made it past committee and ultimately was confirmed with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. 

Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings last week, where Trump’s nominee to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

During the hearings, Democrats also spotlighted Kennedy’s service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children.

While no Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee were expected to vote to confirm Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana physician and chair of the Senate Health Committee.

Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement indicating a party line vote for Kennedy.

‘Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,’ Cassidy told Kennedy at the end of Thursday’s confirmation hearing.

Cassidy’s office confirmed Sunday evening that the senator and Kennedy had been speaking earlier that day. 

The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House.

Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.

Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS.

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases.

‘Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong,’ Kenendy said Thursday as he pointed to chronic diseases. ‘And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.’

With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation on the floor of the chamber.

Elon Musk, who President Donald Trump tasked with spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, declared in a social media post that ‘Hysterical reactions’ demonstrate the importance of DOGE’s work.

He made the comment in response to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

‘An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government,’ a post on Sen. Schumer’s @SenSchumer X account reads, echoing remarks the lawmaker made during a press conference. 

‘DOGE is not a real government agency. DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions. DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore federal law. DOGE’s conduct cannot be allowed to stand. Congress must take action to restore the rule of law,’ Schumer’s post continued.

Musk described the effort to slash government waste and bureaucracy as a one-time opportunity.

‘Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that @DOGE is doing work that really matters,’ he wrote in response to Schumer. 

‘This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like this. It’s now or never. Your support is crucial to the success of the revolution of the people,’ he asserted.

The business magnate has called DOGE ‘the wood chipper for bureaucracy.’

‘If the Treasury Secretary does not remove DOGE’s access to the Treasury payment systems at once: Congress must immediately act,’ another post echoing the sentiments Schumer conveyed during the press conference reads. ‘That is why @RepJeffries and I will work together on legislation to stop unlawful meddling in the Treasury Department’s payment systems. We must protect people’s Social Security payments, Medicare payments, and tax refunds from any possible tampering by DOGE or other unauthorized entities.’

Musk declared in a post, ‘Doge has not looked at, nor is there any interest in, private financial data. What would we even do with it? The outgoing payment review process just looks at potential fraud and wasteful spending to organizations. Corrupt politicians are the ones complaining. I wonder why?’

Elon Musk, who President Donald Trump tasked with spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, declared in a social media post that ‘Hysterical reactions’ demonstrate the importance of DOGE’s work.

He made the comment in response to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

‘An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government,’ a post on Sen. Schumer’s @SenSchumer X account reads, echoing remarks the lawmaker made during a press conference. 

‘DOGE is not a real government agency. DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions. DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore federal law. DOGE’s conduct cannot be allowed to stand. Congress must take action to restore the rule of law,’ Schumer’s post continued.

Musk described the effort to slash government waste and bureaucracy as a one-time opportunity.

‘Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that @DOGE is doing work that really matters,’ he wrote in response to Schumer. 

‘This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like this. It’s now or never. Your support is crucial to the success of the revolution of the people,’ he asserted.

The business magnate has called DOGE ‘the wood chipper for bureaucracy.’

‘If the Treasury Secretary does not remove DOGE’s access to the Treasury payment systems at once: Congress must immediately act,’ another post echoing the sentiments Schumer conveyed during the press conference reads. ‘That is why @RepJeffries and I will work together on legislation to stop unlawful meddling in the Treasury Department’s payment systems. We must protect people’s Social Security payments, Medicare payments, and tax refunds from any possible tampering by DOGE or other unauthorized entities.’

Musk declared a tweet, ‘Doge has not looked at, nor is there any interest in, private financial data. What would we even do with it? The outgoing payment review process just looks at potential fraud and wasteful spending to organizations. Corrupt politicians are the ones complaining. I wonder why?’

U.S. and Philippine fighter aircraft staged a joint patrol and training Tuesday over a disputed South China Sea shoal where Chinese fighter jets fired flares last year to drive away a Philippine aircraft, Philippine officials said.

The joint patrol and air-intercept drills over the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines were the first by the longtime treaty allies since President Donald Trump took office again.

It comes as the Trump administration has promised to deliver a foreign policy that centers on ‘America First.’ 

Two U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber aircraft and three Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jets joined the brief patrol and training, which involved practicing how to intercept a hostile aircraft, Philippine air force spokesperson Maria Consuelo Castillo said at a press conference. It was not immediately known if the joint patrol encountered any challenge from Chinese forces guarding the Scarborough Shoal.

‘The exercises focused on enhancing operational coordination, improving air domain awareness and reinforcing agile combat employment capabilities between the two air forces,’ the Philippine Air Force said.

On Tuesday, the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said its units would maintain a ‘high degree of alert, resolutely defend China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and control any military activities that disrupt the South China Sea,’ alleging the Philippines participated in joint patrols organized by other foreign countries to ‘undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea,’ according to Reuters. 

The Philippine Navy said at a press conference on Tuesday that it was ‘closely monitoring’ three Chinese navy vessels within Manila’s maritime zones, including a Jiangkai-class guided missile frigate.

‘The presence of People’s Liberation Army-Navy reflects the People’s Republic of China’s complete disregard for international law and undermines the peace and stability in the region,’ Philippine Navy spokesperson John Percie Alcos said, according to Reuters.  

In August last year, two Chinese air force aircraft flew close then fired flares in the path of a Philippine air force plane on routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal in actions that were strongly condemned and protested by the Philippine government, military officials said. All those aboard the Philippine air force NC-212i turbo-prop transport plane were unharmed, the Philippine military said.

The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said then that a Philippine air force aircraft ‘illegally’ entered the airspace above the shoal and disrupted training activities by Chinese forces. It warned the Philippines to ‘stop its infringement, provocation, distortion and hyping-up.’

The Philippine military chief, Gen. Romeo Brawner, said at the time that the incident ‘posed a threat to Philippine air force aircraft and its crew, interfered with lawful flight operations in airspace within Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction and contravened international law and regulations governing safety of aviation.’

China and the Philippines have had increasingly alarming face-offs in the shoal, which is called Bajo de Masinloc by the Philippines and Huangyan Island by China.

‘We are always prepared for any contingency, it’s part of the training,’ Castillo said Tuesday when asked if the allied forces had prepared to address any challenge by Chinese aircraft.

‘It already happened before and, as I have said, whatever the coercive, aggressive actions of any foreign party, the Philippine air force will not be deterred to perform its mandate,’ Castillo said.

The U.S. military has reported encountering such dangerous maneuvers by Chinese air force planes in the past over the disputed waters, where it has deployed fighter jets and navy ships to promote freedom of navigation and overflight.

China has bristled at U.S. military deployments in the disputed region, saying these have endangered regional security.

Aside from China and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan have overlapping territorial claims in the busy sea passage, a key global trade and security route, but hostilities have particularly flared in the past two years between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy forces in the Scarborough Shoal and another fiercely contested atoll, the Second Thomas Shoal.

Washington has repeatedly warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.