Aspiring spy boss Tulsi Gabbard defended most of her controversial foreign policy takes during a lively Senate hearing Thursday, including her meeting with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and her prior doubts about the legitimacy of US intelligence on his use of chemical weapons against his own people.

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.

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

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.

Gabbard replied that she had only meant to highlight the “egregiously illegal and unconstitutional programs” that Snowden had exposed—specifically NSA programs that intercepted communications of U.S. citizens—and that his leaks had led to “serious reforms.”

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.

From a Democrat to a supporter of President Trump’s foreign policy, Tulsi Gabbard has made a significant political transformation over the past few years. Some Senators have begun to wonder what this shift means for her capability to serve as the head of U.

President Donald Trump’s new administration is looking ahead to key Senate hearings this week for three of his most controversial nominees.

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, faced tough questioning in her Senate confirmation hearing.

President Donald Trump's choice to direct U.S. intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, faces a Senate panel that is divided over its position on her nomination in a confirmation hearing on Thursday.

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.