Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard’s views on former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and his theft of more than a million classified documents mushroomed into a major point of contention with Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday.

Republican senators, Democratic senators, and even Edward Snowden urged Tulsi Gabbard to speak out against Edward Snowden at her confirmation hearing, but she steadfastly refused to call the former National Security Agency contractor a traitor.

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