Tulsi Gabbard, a former U.S. representative with little intelligence experience, was sworn on Wednesday as the top U.S. spy, after Republicans in the Senate lined up behind a nominee once seen as among President Donald Trump's most controversial picks.

Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation to serve as the director of national intelligence once seemed in doubt. Republican senators voiced private skepticism about her qualifications, and her stances on Russia and Syria were at odds with the party’s old positions.