Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, had made a comment that could be seen as hostile to Japan, it has been learned.
The former Democratic member of U.S. Congress posted on X on Dec. 7 last year, "As we remember Japan's aggression in the Pacific, we need to ask ourselves this question: is the remilitarization of Japan, which is presently under way, truly a good idea?"
Dec. 7 is the date of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Navy's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
She added, "We need to be careful that shortsighted, self-serving leaders do not end up bringing us again face-to-face with a remilitarized Japan."
Gabbard, who is from Samoa, was elected to the House of Representatives from Hawaii. She later became a candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. After becoming an independent, she approached Trump and joined the Republican Party this October.
As Gabbard is known for defending Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, some have questioned her qualifications to join the administration.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States to oversee intelligence institutions in the country, including the CIA.
Taking the director post requires approval from the Senate. The approval process is not expected to be easy for Gabbard as she has no experience of working in an intelligence organization.
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