Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, has criticized many of the president-elect’s cabinet selections as both unqualified and dangerous.
According to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida), Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for national intelligence director, is likely a Russian asset. In a Friday interview on MSNBC, Schultz condemned Trump’s cabinet choices as irresponsible.
Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman and lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve, is a vocal opponent of Washington’s military interventions. She left the Democratic Party following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 and recently joined the Republican Party, endorsing Trump. Trump announced her nomination this week, praising her “fearless spirit.” This new role would place her within the US intelligence community, encompassing agencies like the NSA, CIA, and FBI.
Schultz argued that Gabbard’s appointment would be dangerous, creating a direct line from the US intelligence community to adversaries.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is still calling Tulsi Gabbard a “Russian asset.”
Furthermore proof that Trump made a phenomenal pick.
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga)
The congresswoman asserted that Gabbard has met with war criminals, disregarded State Department guidelines, and secretly traveled to Syria to meet with President Bashar al-Assad. She believes Gabbard is widely considered a Russian asset and personally deems her likely to be one. Schultz did not provide supporting details for these allegations.
Gabbard hasn’t responded to Schultz’s accusations. She previously welcomed Trump’s nomination on X, expressing gratitude for the chance to “defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people.”
Twitter users criticized Schultz’s remarks, noting the lack of evidence and calling her claims defamatory. Some users suggested that the label “Russian asset” is frequently applied by the left to disliked individuals. Gabbard isn’t the only one of Trump’s picks facing Russia-related accusations; two top Democratic senators initiated a probe into SpaceX CEO Elon Musk following media reports of his contact with Russian officials. Trump named Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Schultz described Trump’s cabinet reshuffle as the most extreme and dangerous in history, likening it to “Star Wars bar level craziness.” While acknowledging a few acceptable picks, she deemed most individually unqualified.
Beyond Gabbard, Schultz strongly criticized the nomination of former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general, calling it breathtakingly extreme due to Gaetz’s lack of Justice Department experience and his history as a subject of a sex trafficking investigation.