Warner on Gabbard meeting: 'I had questions going in. I have questions coming out'

Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that his meeting with former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) has left him with more questions as she looks to win confirmation in the coming weeks to lead the U.S. intelligence community. 

Warner sat down with Gabbard, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, on Wednesday, a meeting that had been highly anticipated as part of her push to win Democratic support. 

But Warner, who is expected to remain the top Democrat on the Intelligence panel in the new Congress, indicated that he remains concerned about her nomination, putting a dent in those hopes.

“I had questions going in. I have questions coming out,” Warner told reporters at the Capitol. 

“This is an extraordinarily important job,” he continued. “A lot of this [is] also about protecting the independence of the intelligence community and making sure we continue to have the ability to share classified information with our allies.”

When asked if she is fit for the job, Warner noted that Monday was his first chance to ask Gabbard questions and that this is still the “beginning of the process." 

“I have a lot of questions,” he added.

It remains unclear when Gabbard's confirmation hearing will take place. Warner and Democrats have pressed pause on the committee's push to hold her hearing as early as next week and say they have not received her FBI background check, ethics disclosure or a pre-hearing questionnaire yet. 

Warner noted that standard practice is that committee members receive the background check a week before a hearing. 

"There's no delay," Warner maintained after Axios reported the hearing could be delayed. "We do it by the book. Wait for an FBI background check, we ask her questions."

"One of the other nominees ... has got all of his materials in so we're scheduling the hearing," he continued, pointing to John Ratcliffe, Trump's nominee to lead the CIA. "The thing I take great pride on in this Intel Committee, it's been bipartisan. We do it the same way no matter which team is in the majority and everyone will get a fair hearing."

"There's some flexibility there," Warner added about the week buffer. "But most every time I remember people...have said we want the full week." 

A source familiar with the process noted that the background check should be complete shortly and expedited as Gabbard already holds a security clearance. They also believe her ethics disclosure will be resolved soon, and noted that the Office of Government Ethics has been closed Monday and Tuesday due to the snowstorm. 

The pre-hearing questionnaire also has not been sent to Gabbard as of yet. 

“Chairman Cotton intends to hold these hearings before Inauguration Day. The Intelligence Committee, the nominees, and the transition are diligently working toward that goal," a Cotton spokesperson said in a statement. 

The sit-down with Warner was the third Gabbard has held with a Senate Democrat. Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), an Intelligence Committee member, have already met with her.

She also met Wednesday morning with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) as she continues her tour of Capitol Hill offices. Tuberville, a top Trump ally, plans to support Gabbard, but he noted that there could be trouble coming down the pike for her, especially with her confirmation hearings set to begin soon.

“She’s just now starting, so we’ll see. I would hope not, but you never know with this bunch,” Tuberville said. “Trump needs to get up here and throw the gavel down on them.”

Gabbard has long been considered among the nominees facing the toughest odds in winning confirmation.

The Hill reported last month that she failed to impress a number of Senate Republicans during private meetings, raising questions about her viability as a nominee.

Unlike a number of Trump backers, Senate Republicans are still widely supportive of Ukraine, and the conference includes a number of defense hawks whose views clash directly with various comments Gabbard has made over the years, including those viewed as sympathetic to Moscow.

Her 2017 meeting with ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad has also come under the microscope, especially after he was overthrown last month.

However, some on the committee of jurisdiction believe she’s in a good spot. 

“I think she’s moving in the right direction. I really do,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. “I think she’s had some good meetings.”

“She’s a very quick study and I think she will do well in her open hearings, and I think that’s the key for her — to show to the president that she’s got everything put together and she’s ready to go,” he added.

Updated at 3:28 p.m.