Sen. Angus King also pressed Tulsi Gabbard, who has been nominated by Trump to oversee national intelligence, on her past support for Edward Snowden, who leaked classified details of U.S. surveillance in 2013.

Donald Trump's nominee to be director of national intelligence refused to call Edward Snowden a "traitor" under questioning by senators on Thursday.

Gabbard was questioned by Republicans and Democrats alike on her views of Snowden and whether she believes he was a traitor. She declined to say she believed he was a traitor, repeating that she felt he had broken the law and reiterating a point that she has made in the past, that he exposed practices that have resulted in the reform of 702.