In a shocking turn of events, the Republican-controlled Senate voted to confirm Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic presidential candidate, as the new Director of National Intelligence. The surprise move has left many in Washington stunned, as Gabbard’s nomination was not widely expected to be confirmed.

Gabbard, a former Army National Guard major and four-term congresswoman from Hawaii, was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the nation’s intelligence community. Despite her lack of experience in the intelligence field, Gabbard’s military background and her vocal criticism of the Democratic Party’s foreign policy stance may have contributed to her appeal to Republican lawmakers.

The confirmation vote was largely along party lines, with most Republicans supporting Gabbard’s nomination and most Democrats opposing it. However, some Democrats crossed party lines to vote in favor of Gabbard, citing her willingness to challenge the status quo and her commitment to transparency and accountability.

Gabbard’s confirmation has sparked both praise and criticism from lawmakers and intelligence experts. Some have praised her independence and willingness to challenge the intelligence community’s conventional wisdom, while others have expressed concerns about her lack of experience and potential partisan bias.

As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard will be responsible for overseeing the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies and providing critical intelligence to the President and other policymakers. Her confirmation comes at a time of heightened global tensions and increasing threats to national security, making her role all the more critical.

Only time will tell how Gabbard will perform in her new role, but one thing is certain – her confirmation has sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital and has set the stage for a potentially dramatic shift in the nation’s intelligence community.