Tulsi Gabbard refuses to call Edward Snowden a "traitor"

Zoom in: "This is a big deal to everybody here, because it's a big deal to everybody you'll also oversee," said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who has publicly said he supports her nomination. "So, was Edward Snowden a traitor?"

• Gabbard would not give a yes or no answer, saying only that she is "committed if confirmed as director of national intelligence to join you in making sure that there is no future Snowden-type leak."
• Lankford asked a second time if Snowden was a traitor, to which Gabbard responded, "I am focused on the future and how we can prevent something like this from happening again."

What they're saying: Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) pounced on the moment, pressing her in a heated back and forth immediately after to say that Snowden is a traitor.

• "Let me ask you again, do you believe — as the chairman of this committee believes, as the vast majority of members of our intelligence agencies believe — that Edward Snowden was a traitor to the United States of America," he demanded.
• When she began answering without a yes or no, he interrupted, "This is when the rubber hits the road. This is not a moment for social media."

• "It's not a moment to propagate theories, conspiracy theories or attacks on journalism in the United States," he continued. "This is when you need to answer the questions of the people whose votes you're asking for to be confirmed as the chief intelligence officer of this nation."

What to watch: Prior to Gabbard's hearing, the White House believed she would still get confirmed but might face the greatest difficulty of all of Trump's nominees

• "She has two problems: [Section] 702 and Snowden," a senior White House official said.

Go deeper: Scoop: Trump team sweats McConnell's vote on Tulsi Gabbard