Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, has faced tough questions from lawmakers during a fiery confirmation hearing Thursday.

Tulsi Gabbard fought back against what she called “smears,” declaring she is nobody’s “puppet” before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of top former intelligence officials are urging members of the Senate to confirm President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, saying she will “begin undoing the gross politicization that has come to characterize intelligence bureaucracies,

Senators quizzed Trump's pick for Director of National Intelligence on her past support for leaker Edward Snowden and for meeting with Syrian dictator Basha al-Assad.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) announced Thursday that he supports former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (R-Hawaii) nomination to serve as director of national intelligence,

Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the U.S. military since 2003 and is President Donald Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence.

Senators favoring Gabbard hope to pressure lawmakers to back her by making the panel vote public, Politico reported. Cotton himself is generally regarded as a hawk and supporter of the intelligence community.

He cited Republicans' success pushing through another of Trump's more controversial nominees as reason to be bullish.

During the confirmation hearing for Tulsi Gabbard in the Senate this week, Senator Tom Cotton Delivered the opening remarks, in which he encouraged his colleagues to confirm Gabbard.

President Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees have flooded the zone Thursday in back-to-back-to-back confirmation hearings

Gabbard replied that she had only meant to highlight the “egregiously illegal and unconstitutional programs” that Snowden had exposed—specifically NSA programs that intercepted communications of U.S. citizens—and that his leaks had led to “serious reforms.”