Today we remember the attack Pearl Harbor, a moment when America realized that global conflict could and would make its way to our own shores. America has been blessed with two large barriers in the form of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, providing us with relative domestic peace over our national history. But, as we learned on that day, modern capabilities diminish that gulf substantially.
As Alaskans know, we would soon also fight the Japanese in the Aleutians, at Midway and Guadalcanal, and fully engage every aspect of our American lives and economy into World War II, which only ended when America detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In the European theatre of World War II, the European nations had not sufficiently invested in their own national defense and had a misplaced sense of diplomatic certainty, despite the recent memory of World War I. America ultimately came to the aid of the French, the English, and other European allies. In the Pacific, America beat back the expansionist Imperial Japanese military, which was part of the Axis alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan.
It feels eerily familiar to what is happening in Ukraine today. As that conflict continues, the relative weakness of European allies, which have deprioritized national security investments for decades, has been exposed.
Alaska has never had a more important role to play in defending our nation and on this day, while we pray America does not get pulled into another global conflict, we as a state must be ready, because we are the tip of the spear. Our military can reach any part of the northern hemisphere in hours.
Americans have once again elected a strong leader, replacing one who has certainly weakened our nation’s stature and capabilities. Even before taking office Donald Trump has already sent a harsh message to Hamas – release the hostages or we will release the hounds of hell. Further, he has pressed for a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. People in these regions are listening and pathways to resolution are now opening.
When the new Congress begins its work in a few short weeks, our nation’s military and readiness will be top of mind. Our warriors must know that Congress has their backs, that we’ll emphasize readiness over “woke” and “DEI.” Our warriors must have confidence that leadership understands the weight of their service and tasks them with missions worthy of their sacrifice.
To the families who lost loved ones in battle in World War II and the conflicts that followed, we honor you and your sacrifice. By projecting strength, defending our borders, and providing for our military in a responsible manner, America can maintain peace for our children and grandchildren. That must be our goal.
Canada’s minister of foreign affairs Melanie Joly said she will establish two new Arctic consulates — one in Alaska and another in Greenland, and she will appoint a dedicated Arctic ambassador.
The Anchorage diplomatic mission is being seen as a message to the United States that Canada intends to collaborate with the Trump Administration on Arctic issues during a time when Russia and China are taking an increased interest in the Arctic, and when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on shaky standing with the incoming president.
“Canada must be strong in the North American Arctic, and it requires deeper collaboration with its greatest ally, the United States,” Melanie Joly, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, said in policy document announcing the changes.
“The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region. We live in a tough world and we need to be tougher in our response,” Joly said.
President Joe Biden in September appointed the first-ever Arctic ambassador, Alaskan Michael Sfraga, but his shelf life will likely be shortened, as President Donald Trump is sure to either make his own pick or leave the seat open for a while.
It’s a Juneau tradition: Holiday music, decorations, and thousands of cookies will be featured at the Governor’s Residence for the annual Holiday Open House this Tuesday, Dec. 10 from 3-6 p.m.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, First Lady Rose Dunleavy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Kit Dahlstrom will be in the house to greet visitors and be available for photos. Typically, a line of people stretches down Calhoun Ave., as people brave the weather to get a chance to see the governor and look at the decorations inside the iconic building, which was built in 1912.
Students from the Thunder Mountain Middle School Carolers, the Juneau-Douglas High School Band, Faith Christian School, and Juneau Alaska Music Matters will perform holiday music, while Alaska’s 15 state commissioners will serve hot apple cider to all visitors.
The governor’s announcement said that 17,050 cookies, 35 pounds of toffee and 90 pounds of fudge and chocolate will be served in the dining room of the mansion. This year’s Christmas tree was donated by the U.S. Forest Service and was harvested from the Tongass National Forest. Ornaments for the tree were handmade by students from schools across Alaska.
The first open house was held by Territorial Gov. Walter Eli Clark and his family on New Year’s Day 1913. The annual tradition has been held every year since, except from two years during World War II and in 2020 due to Covid-19.
Anchorage School District’s planned closure of Fire Lake Elementary in Eagle River has caught the attention of Rep. Jamie Allard, who represents Eagle River and Chugiak in the Alaska Legislature (the school is in Rep. Dan Saddler’s district).
Allard said it makes no sense to close that school, considering demographic shifts. While Anchorage is losing students, Eagle River is growing, she said, with hundreds of new houses and multi-family units being built within walking distance of Fire Lake Elementary.
She said Fire Lake is where a large percentage of Eagle River’s military families have their students, and provides programs for children with disabilities.
“Moving them to different locations will affect them significantly, and should be avoided at any cost,” said Allard, who has long been an advocate for children with learning disabilities.
The district is planning to convert the school into a daycare center for the employees of the district, and at some unknown point in the future, some of the school building may be made available for a charter school, she said.
“If closing an Eagle River school must happen in the future, leaving Fire Lake Elementary intact, and instead consolidating Homestead and Eagle River Elementary schools, makes more sense from both a structural and education standpoint. You could then re-house Eagle Academy into one of those buildings, and allow for a neighborhood charter school that is within walking distance for many more of Eagle River’s residents. Education choices would increase, the special programs available at Fire Lake would remain intact, and students would still be able to safely walk to school, which would decrease travel times and transportation costs alike,” she said in a published statement.
Allard pointed out that the school board has no representation from Eagle River because the school board members are elected citywide. That means Eagle River has no seat at the table.
“My hope is that the Anchorage School District Board reconsiders the decision to close Fire Lake, revisits the re-housing of Eagle Academy to a more appropriate and accessible location, and puts on indefinite hold any actions that negatively affect the one part of the Municipality of Anchorage that is thriving and growing,” she said.
The school has 230 students, with 10% of them in special-needs classrooms. The playground was recently remodeled to better fit the needs of the large special needs student population of Fire Lake.
The district plans to send 40 students to Birchwood Elementary, 108 students to Eagle River Elementary, and two students to Chugiak Elementary. The district says that Fire Island is currently at 47% capacity, but recently Anchorage has approved major family-sized housing projects within walking distance of the school.
The district in general has a shrinking student population across the city’s campuses as families flee Anchorage, some heading to Eagle River, which is still in the municipality, and many heading to the MatSu Valley for a more traditional education and better quality of life. With lower enrollment, funding is shrinking and the district is trying to close some schools. Politically, it is not targeting schools in the urban core as much as those in the suburbs.
Tom Hewitt, who has been editorial page editor of the Anchorage Daily News for six and a half years, is leaving the newspaper and heading back to his hometown of Fairbanks, where another job — a government gig — awaits him starting Monday.
Hewitt said in a social media post that his marriage broke up, prompting many life changes. He made the comment on bluesky, a social media site where Alaska liberals have drifted; he has recently erased all of his posts at X, which is what some other liberal media members and politicos are doing in a fit of pique since free speech has been restored at X and conservatives now are able to engage there.
Among the changes at the ADN itself is the unionization of the newsroom, but it’s unclear that Hewitt wanted to participate. 80% of the newsroom at the paper signed authorization cards this year and petitioned to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board.
Before the ADN, Hewitt was editorial page editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and news director of KTVF and KXDF. He is a lifelong Alaskan and connected to Fairbanks, where he also went to college.
The ADN has not yet said whether it will replace Hewitt or outsource the work of opinion writing and letter editing. Word is that Hewitt is going to work for Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins, a Democrat.
This week the board of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) passed a resolution supporting the development of Alaska LNG Phase 1, the in-state pipeline portion of Alaska LNG (liquified natural gas) designed to bring North Slope natural gas to Interior and Southcentral Alaska.
The resolution authorizes AIDEA to negotiate and sign a letter of credit to backstop front-end engineering and design, also known as FEED, for the Alaska LNG pipeline, bringing Alaska a critical step closer toward a privately funded in-state natural gas pipeline.
The letter of credit allows the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. to unlock up to $50 million in private investment needed to move the Alaska LNG pipeline through FEED, the remaining development stage that must be completed before a final investment decision can be made.
AGDC is in advanced discussions with potential project partners to privately fund and complete FEED and will announce updates when new developments occur. The letter of credit for FEED will only be utilized if a final investment decision is not reached, at which time AGDC will own the completed pipeline engineering and design work.
“The State of Alaska is facing a looming energy crisis and Alaska LNG represents the best long-term energy solution for our state. The Alaska LNG pipeline will deliver reliable, affordable, low-emissions energy and uniquely provide billions of dollars in economic benefits for Alaskans. Building the Alaska LNG pipeline also strategically positions Alaska to increase the energy security of our Pacific allies by derisking construction of the other Alaska LNG components that will generate and commercially export LNG,” AGDC said in a statement about the development.
The LNG pipeline initial phase of development, long tied up in government entanglements, comes at a time when Southcentral and the Railbelt in Alaska are running out of Cook Inlet natural gas and are on the verge of needing to import it. It also comes at a time when the price of natural gas is predicted to surge due to high demand, tight supply, and the Biden Administration crackdown on production.
Ron DeSantis would, I’m sure, be an outstanding secretary of Defense. He’d be a better president. I don’t think he can be both.
He needs independence if he wants to make a run in 2028.
Working for Donald Trump wouldn’t work. He needs to be his own man, not subject to the caprice of an impulsive authoritarian. Vice President Vance has the inside track to be the Trump’s designated successor, and he will resent anyone competing in his lane.
DeSantis needs his own lane, and I think one is available – Reform Republican. The reforms which are needed are all understood and supported by large majorities of voters, both Republican and Democrat. But the needed congressional action will never happen, because these reforms are of Congress itself.
First, and most pressing, is fiscal reform. To have any teeth, it needs to go into the Constitution. It could be as simple and obvious as a line-item veto. 44 Governors have it, people are familiar with it, and it works. If the President had this power, he would be responsible and politically accountable for deficit spending. There are other fiscal reforms which work in other countries, like the Swiss debt break.
Next is congressional term limits. Want to drain the swamp? Keep recycling the swamp creatures. Don’t let them get too comfortable. The American people understand this issue, and they dearly desire that someone takes up this cause.
Third is campaign finance reform. Using the powers granted to it in Article 1, sec. 4 of the Constitution, Congress has created a web of federal campaign finance laws suited perfectly to the incumbent. This power needs to be taken away from Congress, and returned to the states, and the people. Let each state decide on how it wants congressional campaigns financed within its borders. Kansas will do it one way, Rhode Island another. In states with an initiative available, the voters can decide, directly, how they want to regulate campaign financing. Every state already does it, but only for state elections. Give them the power to regulate congressional races as well. Simply remove that part of Article 1, sec. 4 which was inserted at the last minute by James Madison.
In 1787 state legislatures were the center of the anti-federalists. These people didn’t want the Constitution, which would mean the central government taking away their power. Madison was afraid that if the state legislatures controlled elections to Congress, they would abuse that power and somehow sabotage the Congress.
It made sense at the time, but that concern is no longer a problem. Congress is the problem.
These three reforms must all be achieved using Article V of the Constitution. The states, acting together, can propose these amendments themselves, bypassing Congress. This provision was inserted because the delegates to the Convention knew that Congress, itself, could be the problem, which could not be relied on to reform itself. Article V was written specifically as a means of reforming Congress.
The effort to achieve these reforms began in 1975 with two blue dog southern Democrats. It’s had fits and starts along the way. But it has never gone away. It has never succeeded because it’s never had a leader.
Gov. Ron DeSantis could be that leader, and if the effort succeeds it would be as significant as the progressive reforms enacted at the beginning of the 20th century: direct election of Senators, the income tax, and women’s emancipation.
There were Progressive Republicans and Progressive Democrats, and there need to be Reform Republicans and Reform Democrats. It’s the on ly way it can work. Which is why anyone associated with Donald Trump cannot lead it.
Kash Patel, fanatically loyal to Trump, liked to call DeSantis “Tater Tot Ron”for having the temerity to challenge Trump. That’s the kind of loyalty Trump wants. It’s too much.
DeSantis is better off staying away from Washington. Instead, he should travel the states to build support for the Reform Republican agenda.
Fritz Pettyjohn was a prosecuting attorney for the City of Ketchikan, Alaska in 1973 and served in the Alaska Legislature in the 1980s. He blogs at ReaganProject.com
This is the season of wish lists and holiday dreams, as we eagerly anticipate what Santa—or Amazon—might bring. But soon enough, reality sets in, with Scrooge in the form of credit card bills and bank statements snapping us back to earth.
Unfortunately, for Juneau residents, Scrooge may be arriving sooner than expected. Two significant events this past Monday, Dec. 3, should prompt all of us to sit up and take notice.
The first event was the release of the December Economic Trends report from the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The report projects that Southeast Alaska’s population, including Juneau’s, is expected to decline by more than 8% by 2050. That might not sound alarming at first, but the underlying data tells a more troubling story.
Our community is aging rapidly. Birth rates are at historic lows, far below what’s needed to sustain the population. Meanwhile, we lack the migration needed to fill the gaps left by retirees. These demographic shifts are already hitting us hard: job vacancies remain unfilled, wait times for services are longer, and businesses struggle to find workers.
This shrinking workforce is more than an economic issue—it’s a community crisis. Our wage earners support local schools, shop at our stores, dine at our restaurants, and fund the arts. As their numbers dwindle, the burden on those who remain grows heavier. We’ve all felt this through rising property taxes, an increasing cost of living, and mounting pressure on city services.
The second event was Monday evening’s Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting, which covered two key topics: a proposed tidelands lease for Huna Totem’s Aak’w Landing development and an update on the city’s financial situation.
During the discussion of the Aak’w Landing project, important questions about traffic, congestion, and public space were raised. However, I was struck by what wasn’t asked. How many jobs will this project create—both during construction and for long-term operations? What kind of tax revenue will it generate for Juneau?
Aak’w Landing is a for-profit development that will contribute to our tax base and provide diversified employment opportunities. These benefits are crucial for our community’s long-term stability, yet they didn’t seem to get the attention they deserved.
The financial update was even more sobering. Since the fiscal year began on July 1, the city has approved over $6.5 million in unbudgeted, one-time expenditures. Future requests could exceed $30 million. Meanwhile, both sales and property tax revenues are falling short of projections, creating a significant budget gap.
To maintain current services, the city is considering increasing the mil rate, which would further raise property taxes. Assembly members were tasked with answering four key questions:
1. How comfortable are they with revenue and expense assumptions?
2. Should revenue changes be explored?
3. Should service levels be adjusted?
4. Should they seek voter approval for bonds in October 2025?
But here’s what they should also be asking:
• What are our real spending priorities?
• Which programs or projects can be trimmed to keep Juneau affordable?
Now is the time for us, the residents of Juneau, to make our voices heard. Can we afford yet another property tax increase? What services or projects matter most to us? Without our input, the Assembly will act on our behalf—whether we agree or not.
Let them know what you think by emailing them at boroughassembly@juneau.gov. Our city’s future depends on your voice.
Angela Rodell is a Juneau resident and the former chief executive officer of the Alaska Permanent Fund.
Senate GOP hawks who receive large sums from the defense industry could be mobilizing to tank one of President-elect Donald Trump’s national security nominees.
Former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, nominated by Trump to helm the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, could face opposition from Senate Republicans with hawkish views on national security over her beliefs on Ukraine and government surveillance powers.
Though a considerable number of Trump-aligned senators have endorsed Gabbard, citing her decades-long military service andcommitment to reforming the country’s intelligence agencies that have been frequently weaponizedagainst the president-elect, GOP senators whose national security views appear to sharply diverge from Gabbard’s have mostly refrained from supporting her nomination.
“The uproar from the Uniparty over @TulsiGabbard’s nomination to be Director of National Intelligence simply proves she’s the perfect choice. I look forward to voting in favor of her confirmation. — Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) Dec. 3, 2024
Gabbard will begin meeting with Republican lawmakers next week, Alexa Henning, Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.She can afford to lose the support of just three Republican senators, assuming all Democrats oppose her nomination and Vice President-elect JD Vance casts a tie-breaking vote to secure her confirmation.
Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, the incoming chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee — the panel that will process Gabbard’s nomination — has not taken a public position on the former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, but promised to move quickly on Trump’s cabinet nominees during an interview with Fox News.
Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a notable Senate GOP defense hawk, endorsed Gabbard in an X post following Trump’s announcement of her nomination, calling her “extremely bright and capable.”
Gabbard, who recently joined the GOP and served as a surrogate for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, is a vocal criticof U.S. support for Ukraine and the national security apparatus’ spying powers. She is also an avowed opponentof the “military industrial complex,” which she has accused of profiting off the war in Ukraine.
Biden’s decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine shows they don’t care about the Ukrainian people; these munitions will lead to Ukrainian casualties caused by undetonated bomblets for decades to come. This is the same cold, calculating, callousness we saw in Madeleine Albright… pic.twitter.com/BlWsuvf3sk — Tulsi Gabbard ? (@TulsiGabbard)July 9, 2023
A significant cohort of Senate Republicans, despite Gabbard and the president-elect’s opposition, support the United States contributing additional military aid to Ukraine and preserving the government’s warrantless spying authorities.
On April 19, 30 GOP senators backed the reauthorization of the government’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) Section 702 authority, which allows for warrantless surveillance under certain conditions against Americans. Four days later, 29 Republican senators votedwith their Democratic counterparts to send more than $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
Gabbard has been subject to personal attacks from Democratic lawmakers over her views on the Russia-Ukraine war. Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz dubbed Gabbard, who is still serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, a “Russian asset” and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth concluded Gabbard is “compromised” and “couldn’t pass a background check.” The New York Times published an article following Gabbard’s nomination with the title, “How Tulsi Gabbard Became a Favorite of Russia’s State Media.”
Members of the Senate GOP conference have reportedly bought into some of these allegations, according to a report from The Hill. Wasserman-Schultz and Duckworth’s offices did not respond to the DCNF’s inquiries about providing evidence to support their claims questioning Gabbard’s loyalty to the United States.
“Just as the Democrats and the Washington Elite see President Trump as a threat to their unchecked power, they see Congresswoman Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard as a threat as well,” Henning told the DCNF. “As DNI Director she will champion our constitutional rights and put an end to using intelligence agencies as weapons against the American people.”
The following GOP senators with hawkish views on U.S. foreign policy could stand in the way of Gabbard’s confirmation, according to a DCNF review of Senate Republicans’ statements on Gabbard’s nomination to serve as Trump’s chief intelligence officer and their past support for Ukraine and FISA.
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell could pose an obstacle to Gabbard’s confirmation given the former Senate Republican leader’s interventionist foreign policy views and reported opposition to former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz’s nomination to serve as Trump’s attorney general.
“President Trump’s got the right policies. Clearly, the American people have his back. The thing that’s holding us back on the right is the established order of the donor class Republicans that are manifested in the Senate, “Steve Bannon told Puck in an interview published on Nov. 26. “What’s going to hold us back is Mitch McConnell.”
“It’s pretty obvious that McConnell has staying power, and we have to confront that,” Bannon added.
McConnell has been an influential proponent of sending military aid to Ukraine and the reauthorization of FISA. The defense sector contributed more than $150,000 to McConnell’s campaign committee and leadership PAC between 2019 and 2024, according to OpenSecrets.
McConnell will be the incoming chair of the Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee, tasked with appropriating money for the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies. He has promised to spend the remainder of his time in the Senate pushing back against “isolationism,” an oblique reference to Gabbard and Trump’s “America First” foreign policy worldview.
“Members of my own party now contend that, somehow, the stability of markets and the deterrence of adversaries are achievable without tending to the requirements of American hard power,” McConnell said during a keynote speech at an American Enterprise Institute event that celebrated the Kentucky senator’s foreign policy views on Nov. 12. “Confronting this particular challenge is where I now place my focus. Shoring up American primacy, combatting the dangerous tendency toward isolationism, and urgently restoring America’s hard power: this is how I will spend a great deal of the time I have left in public life.”
Sen. Thom Tillis
Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis could also pose a challenge for Gabbard. He has pledged to not support any Trump national security nominee that does not support Ukraine.
“I’m going to have to have a very compelling story for anybody who’s going to influence policy in Ukraine,” Tillis told the Wall Street Journal in response to an inquiry about whether he will support Gabbard’s nomination. “At DNI, I don’t know if that’s her [Tulsi Gabbard] or not, but when I get into the nomination process, I have no intention of supporting anybody who equivocates on support for Ukraine.”
Tillis has voted to send military aid to Ukraine and reauthorize FISA. His campaign committee and leadership PAC received nearly $75,000 from the defense sector between 2019 and 2024, according to OpenSecrets.
Vance criticized Tillis’ support for providing military aid to Ukraine last year, stating “With all due respect to Thom, he’s not living in reality.”
Tillis is up for reelection in 2026 in what is likely to be a competitive contest in a battleground state against a Democratic opponent and could also face a primary challenger from the right.
Sen. Susan Collins
Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a consistent supporter of Ukraine and the government’s warrantless surveillance powers, is noncommittal on Gabbard’s confirmation, telling reporters that her nomination “illustrates the importance of a full background check, a public hearing, and the constitutional role of the Senate.”
The Maine Republican, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, appeared to opposeGaetz’s nomination and has also not taken a position on Pete Hegseth, Trump’s DoD pick, whose confirmation is also facing considerable headwinds.
Collins traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky in May 2022 as part of a congressional delegation led by McConnell. The defense industry has doled out more than $300,000 to Collins’ campaign committee and leadership PAC between 2019 and 2024, according to Open Secrets.
Collins is up for reelection in 2026 in her quest for a 6th Senate term and is the only Republican senator who represents a state that 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a frequent Trump critic who opposed Gaetz’s nomination, could also vote against Gabbard’s confirmation to serve as DNI director.
Murkowski has voted to send military aid to Ukraine and to reauthorize FISA. She traveledto Ukraine to meet with Zelensky in April 2023 alongside Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mark Kelly of Arizona.
The Alaska Republican has also voiced confidence in Zelensky’s leadership, a significant departure from Gabbard who has criticized the Ukrainian president’s alleged crackdown on Ukrainian civil society during the country’s war against Russia.
Met with President Zelensky this morning with a bipartisan group of senators in the Capitol. Zelensky articulated his plan to prevail in the war that Putin has waged against Ukraine. I have great admiration for not only President Zelensky, but the people of Ukraine as they… pic.twitter.com/MgftTgi0fZ
The defense sector contributed more than $200,000 to Murkowski’s campaign committee and leadership PAC between 2019-2024, according to OpenSecrets.
Sen. John Cornyn
Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a GOP defense hawk and proponent of providing military aid to Ukraine, notably omitted Gabbard’s name during a speech where he appeared to endorse four of Trump’s defense and national security nominees, including Hegseth.
Cornyn, who is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, toldPunchbowl News that he would like to ask Gabbard about her views on Russia while acknowledging that she is a “patriot.” Cornyn’s office declined to provide details about whether the Texas Republican is planning to meet with Gabbard before her confirmation hearing that has yet to be scheduled.
Cornyn has characterizeda Ukrainian victory as “a victory for all who value freedom” and accused his critics “pushing Russian propaganda” following his vote in support of sending additional military aid to Ukraine in April.
The defense industry has contributedmore than $260,000 to Cornyn’s campaign committee and leadership PAC over the last five years, according to OpenSecrets.
Cornyn is up for reelection in 2026 and is likely to face a competitive primary challenger from the right.
Sen. Mike Rounds
Republican South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is also noncommittal on Gabbard’s nomination and appeared to question Trump’s decision to nominate the former Hawaii congresswoman during an interview with reporters.
“I start out saying, OK, this is an individual the president wants on his team,” Rounds told Punchbowl News on Nov. 22. “But now let’s talk about information that maybe the president didn’t have, or information that comes up, and at that stage do we advise the president to look elsewhere or do we offer our consent?”
Rounds recently defendedFBI Director Christopher Wray following Trump’s decision to replace him with Kash Patel, who served in multiple positions during the first Trump administration.
Rounds also criticized the idea of ending the Russia-Ukraine war in a negotiated settlement during a speech in September at the Halifax Security Forum, claiming, “As much as I would love to say that there is a path towards a peaceful resolution to this by negotiating with this tyrant, I suspect that we may be deceiving ourselves.”
The defense industry contributed nearly $100,000 to the South Dakota Republican’s campaign committee and leadership PAC between 2019-2024.
McConnell, Tillis, Collins, Murkowski and Rounds’ offices did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment about whether the senators plan to meet with Gabbard before her confirmation hearing that will likely be scheduled for early January once the new Congress is sworn in.
