Far-right extremists and propagandists appear to have a friend — or at least an ally — in the U.S. director of national intelligence.

Intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard’s ties to MAGA influencers and other figures known for spreading conservative propaganda are in focus, after she reportedly sought to name a pro-Kremlin podcaster as one of her deputies.

Gabbard reportedly wanted to appoint podcaster Daniel Davis but reversed course when even conservatives revolted against the move. As David Corn explained for Mother Jones, Davis has a history of denouncing Israel’s government, which seems to have been the primary point of contention for Republicans. But Davis has also been known to promote Russian President Vladimir Putin’s propaganda about the Ukraine war, to such an extent that he has been touted by state-run media outlets in Russia.

This is far from an ideal choice for the intelligence official who prepares the President’s Daily Brief. In fact, it’s a horrifying choice that speaks directly to the concerns that Democrats expressed about Gabbard’s decision-making and loyalties in the lead-up to her confirmation vote.

Gabbard’s recent sharing of an X post by far-right influencer Ian Miles Cheong, a conservative propagandist based in Malaysia, only raised more questions about her alignment with some of the most unabashedly illiberal voices on the internet.

Some netizens also have drawn attention to Gabbard’s association with pro-Putin influencer Jackson Hinkle, an advocate for the right-wing movement known as “MAGA communism,” after Hinkle wrote on X that Trump “should be doing TARGETED STRIKES on Kiev, London, Brussels & Paris — NOT YEMEN!”

The post below includes a photo of Gabbard sitting for Hinkle’s podcast in 2020, with a follow-up post showing the two surfing together in 2019.

For the record, these photos appear to have been taken before Hinkle became full-on MAGA, which is to say: If these were encounters with someone not known as a far-right propagandist, it might be defensible. Unfortunately, Gabbard has accumulated a long list of disturbing instances to choose from.