President-elect Donald Trump's potential selections for key positions in U.S. intelligence and the Justice Department, Tulsi Gabbard and Matt Gaetz respectively, have stirred controversy due to their support for whistle-blower Edward Snowden. Gabbard, a former Hawaii House Democrat, and Gaetz, a former House Republican from Florida, have both expressed anti-establishment views regarding Snowden's actions.
Both Gabbard and Gaetz co-sponsored legislation urging the federal government to drop all charges against Snowden, who leaked classified documents about U.S. surveillance programs in 2013. Gabbard, during her 2020 presidential campaign, vowed to protect whistle-blowers like Snowden if elected.
