US Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is under fire from Republican challenger and State Senator Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield) for staying silent during CIA director nominee Gina Haspel's confirmation process on Wednesday.
Vukmir tweeted a summary of her statement with a photo labeling Baldwin as part of "Team Terrorists:"
Senator Baldwin would rather give the man behind the 9/11 attacks and other terrorists hugs and safe spaces than take adequate action to protect America and confirm Gina Haspel quickly. Unacceptable. #wisen https://t.co/njYuI94GHA pic.twitter.com/sCTCDpIvZs
— Senator Leah Vukmir (@LeahVukmir) May 9, 2018
The full news release continues on Vukmir's website, stating that Gina Haspel has proven she will protect the US:
"After Sen. Baldwin’s outrageous support of the Iran deal, it’s no surprise that she would rather give the man behind the 9/11 attacks and other terrorists hugs and safe spaces than take adequate action to protect America and confirm Gina Haspel quickly. This is a dangerous time for America, and our CIA director should be willing to do what it takes to protect our nation, our citizens and our freedoms. Gina Haspel has proven she will do that, and Baldwin’s silence on her nomination is just another signal that she’d rather bow to our enemies than tell terrorists we’ll do what’s necessary to ensure Americans are kept safe."
According to The Hill, Haspel is a controversial nominee because she used to work at a CIA black site that used enhanced interrogation techniques, which some have described as torture.
Baldwin was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and faces a challenge from both Vukmir and Kevin Nicholson, who recently took heat for his comments about veterans who vote for Democratic candidates.
