Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley sharply criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence during her Wednesday SiriusXM program, Nikki Haley Live. Haley questioned Gabbard’s suitability for the role, citing her foreign policy stances and accusing her of sympathizing with adversaries such as Russia, Iran, Syria, and China.

“The director of national intelligence is a job for an honest broker without any pronounced policy biases,” Haley said. “Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian, Iranian, Syrian, Chinese sympathizer.”

Haley’s remarks centered on Gabbard’s foreign policy positions during her time in Congress and her 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. Haley criticized Gabbard’s opposition to Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, impose sanctions on Iran, and designate the Iranian military as a terrorist organization. Haley also highlighted Gabbard’s condemnation of Trump’s 2020 strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, calling it “an authoritarian move” without justification.

“She [Gabbard] criticized Trump for taking out Qasem Soleimani, who was known as the ‘Master of Death’ in Iran,” Haley said. “She tried to limit Trump’s war powers against Iran and even pushed to cut our defense budget, hindering our ability to counter Iran, the number one sponsor of terrorism.”

Haley also slammed Gabbard for meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a 2017 trip to Syria. “She went for a photo op with Assad while he was massacring his own people,” Haley said. “She even cast doubt on Assad’s responsibility for chemical attacks on civilians, parroting Russian propaganda.”

Haley’s criticism extended to Gabbard’s views on NATO and Russia. “After Russia invaded Ukraine, Tulsi blamed NATO, the alliance that counters Russian aggression,” Haley said, adding that Gabbard’s comments were echoed by Russian and Chinese media.

Gabbard’s advocacy for clemency for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, both accused of leaking classified U.S. information, also drew Haley’s ire. “She pushed for dropping charges against Assange and Snowden, whose actions endangered American lives,” Haley stated.

Haley concluded her critique by questioning Gabbard’s fitness to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies. “DNI is not a place for someone who defends Russia, Syria, Iran, and China,” she said. “The director of national intelligence must analyze real threats, not peddle propaganda.”

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