Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) defended Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, arguing she is the right person to provide reform to the agencies she would oversee. 

Schmitt was asked if he has any concerns about Gabbard and her “history” with ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, including her claims that he was not an enemy of the United States. Gabbard said she went to Syria to “see and hear directly from the Syrian people” affected by the devastating civil war taking place, according to a blog post at the time of the 2017 meeting with Assad.