On Thursday, during the confirmation hearing, President Trump’s intelligence chief nominee, Tulsi Gabbard, faced tough questions from Republicans and Democrats. She was scrutinized for her meeting with former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad IN 2017, raising concerns since Syria has been on the U.S. State Sponsor of Terrorism list since 1979. As Trump’s chosen Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard will oversee 18 intelligence agencies and manage a $100 billion annual budget for spy operations.