CBS anchor Margaret Brennan attempted to decode the body language of Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) as the two discussed the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence on Sunday.
Gabbard, a former Democrat, was nominated to lead the country’s intelligence agencies last month by President-elect Donald Trump.
Questions about her qualifications for the role could threaten her ability to be confirmed by the Senate. On Face the Nation Sunday, Brennan pressed Turner about Gabbard’s chances of joining Trump’s cabinet. At one point in the interview, Turner smiled about the topic during the following exchange:
BRENNAN: I want to ask you, since we’re talking about the incoming administration, Donald Trump has chosen Tulsi Gabbard, the former Congresswoman, a former Democrat, now Republican, to be the Director of National Intelligence, overseeing 18 intelligence agencies. She not only went and met with Assad, she publicly doubted high-confidence assessments by U.S. intelligence that he did what we showed you pictures of him doing, using chemical weapons there. Do you trust that she could actually represent the intelligence community, lead it and be trusted to brief the Commander in Chief?TURNER: Well, I obviously differ in a great deal in a number of areas with both her judgment and her background and experience, but what I do trust is the –BRENNAN: You’re smiling when you’re saying this.TURNER: – Is the Senate process, and I think this, the senators
are going to put her through a process. She has been nominated. She will go through the process, and I think there will be significant debate and evaluation. I think –BRENNAN: You don’t think she’ll be confirmed?TURNER: That Donald Trump has put together in his last term, and I think he will in this term, a great national security team. I think CIA Director Radcliffe, I think Mike Waltz as National Security Director, are both great examples of people who are going to be foundational. I think you’re going to see a great national security team.BRENNAN: Well, this is a community that you also have oversight of, so you may not vote in the Senate, but it sounds like she doesn’t have your confidence.
Watch above via CBS News.