During a CBS interview, Vice President J.D. Vance defended Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for Director of National Intelligence, pushing back strongly against criticism from mainstream conservative outlets and CBS anchor Margaret Brennan. Brennan cited harsh critiques from National Review and The Wall Street Journal, questioning Gabbard’s past stances on Edward Snowden and Syria’s Assad regime. She asked if such concerns gave Vance pause.

Vance firmly rejected the premise. “These are publications that attacked Donald Trump obsessively,” he said, adding that they’ve “lost relevance” and don’t decide cabinet appointments—Trump does. When Brennan noted that the Senate must confirm nominees, Vance acknowledged their role but expressed confidence Gabbard would be confirmed.

He praised Gabbard’s long military service and high-level security clearance, calling her record “impeccable.” Vance said she could help restore trust in intelligence agencies, which he accused of political weaponization.

Brennan pressed again, noting Gabbard’s mistrust of the intelligence community. Vance responded that her skepticism is exactly why she’s needed: “We need somebody there who’s going to rein [the bureaucrats] in and return those services to their core mission of identifying information that’s going to keep us safe.”