In a move that has stirred controversy among some members of President Trump’s coalition, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, is reportedly considering appointing Daniel Davis to a senior intelligence role. Davis, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Defense Priorities, is known for his critical views on U.S. military interventions, particularly in the Middle East. According to insiders, he is currently undergoing a background check for the position of Deputy Director for Mission Integration, a crucial role responsible for compiling the President’s Daily Brief, a comprehensive report on intelligence assessments for the White House and top policymakers.
The potential appointment has faced backlash from right-wing circles, raising questions about whether it will proceed or be reconsidered by Gabbard or the White House. While it remains uncertain how frequently Davis would brief President Trump, his possible assumption of the role underscores foreign policy rifts within the administration. On one side are hawkish Republicans like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and on the other, figures like Gabbard who are critical of extensive American military involvement abroad.
Defense Priorities, which counts Charles Koch among its funders, has been skeptical of U.S. intervention in foreign conflicts and has supported Trump’s calls for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Davis’s appointment has become a flashpoint within Trump’s support base, where debates over U.S. backing of Israel are intensifying. The Anti-Defamation League criticized his potential appointment as “extremely dangerous,” citing his remarks on Hamas’s recent attacks and his purported opposition to U.S. support for Israel.
Some hawkish conservatives in Congress have expressed private concerns that Davis’s skepticism regarding the Gaza conflict might undermine U.S. support for Israel, amplifying existing fault lines within the administration. Echoing these sentiments, former CIA operations officer Marc Polymeropoulos stated Davis’s views are outside the Republican Party’s mainstream, highlighting his opposition to military action against Iran and criticism of Israel.
Despite the backlash, Davis’s supporters argue there’s no trace of antisemitism in his critiques. They describe him as a skeptic of military engagements that don’t directly align with American interests, and someone wary of using proxies when U.S. troops aren’t prioritized. Though his stances on Israel stray from typical Republican opinions, Davis has also highlighted Palestinian suffering in Gaza, aligning him with some liberal Democrats. He has publicly opposed plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza, labeling such actions as “ethnic cleansing” and critiquing U.S. support as a “stain on our character as a nation.”
While Gabbard has been reticent on the Gaza situation, her views often reflect Davis’s skepticism of U.S. military support, not just regarding Israel, but also Ukraine and Syria’s political landscape. Previous coverage of Davis’s potential appointment appeared on Jewish Insider. As the deliberations continue, the decision could significantly impact the Trump administration’s handling of core international relations and defense policies, especially concerning the Israel-Gaza War and broader Middle Eastern conflicts.
Original Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/us/politics/israel-gaza-intelligence-gabbard-daniel-davis.html
Category : Israel-Gaza War (2023- ),United States International Relations,Espionage and Intelligence Services,Appointments and Executive Changes,Defense Intelligence Agency,Gabbard, Tulsi (1981- ),Trump, Donald J
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Publish Date: 2025-03-13 01:59:00
