Former Trump Adviser Declares Kremlin Is 'Drinking Vodka Straight Out of the Bottle Tonight' Following Tulsi Gabbard Confirmation

The Kremlin is reveling in Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation as Director of National Intelligence, former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton warned.

"I think Putin couldn't be happier," Bolton said on CNN. "They're drinking vodka straight out of the bottle in the Kremlin tonight."

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii turned Republican ally, landed Senate confirmation despite fierce debate over her foreign policy views, particularly her stance on Russia.

Throughout her career, Gabbard has been condemned for regurgitating Kremlin talking points—opposing U.S. sanctions, criticizing NATO expansion, and taking positions that support Putin's interests.

"I think Tulsi Gabbard's role as Director of National Intelligence is going to be extremely harmful to our national security," Bolton warned. "I think many allies are now going to think twice before they share intelligence with us. I think it will impair our ability to gain confidence around the world... it was one of his [Trump's] worst nominations beyond a doubt."

Former congressional staffers say Gabbard routinely consumed and shared content from RT, a Kremlin-controlled media outlet, even after being warned it wasn't credible. In a campaign memo, she criticized America's "hostility" toward Putin and privately met with Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian leader and Moscow ally accused of heinous war crimes.

"Given the Russian propaganda that she has espoused over the past period of time, I think she's a serious threat to our national security," Bolton has previously said.

During her Senate confirmation hearing, Gabbard faced tough questions over past remarks about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) pressed her on a tweet where she suggested the war could have been avoided had NATO acknowledged Russia's "legitimate security concerns."

When challenged on whether her remarks aligned with Russian justifications for the invasion, she clapped back, "Senator, I don't pay attention to Russian propaganda. My goal is to speak the truth regardless of whether you like it or not."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued many Republicans only voted for her out of fear of Trump's retribution.