Aspiring spy boss Tulsi Gabbard defended most of her controversial foreign policy takes during a lively Senate hearing Thursday, including her meeting with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and her prior doubts about the legitimacy of US intelligence on his use of chemical weapons against his own people.

Gabbard, a former congresswoman and an Army Reserve officer, faced challenging questions from senators on both sides of the aisle during her confirmation hearing to become director of national intelligence.