Sen. Todd Young at an event in 2024. Photo by Nathan Gotsch, Fort Wayne Politics.

By Niki Kelly
Indiana Capital Chronicle

INDIANAPOLIS — U.S. Sen. Todd Young had a rough Sunday on social media — getting called out by several high-profile Republicans for critically questioning a Trump administration nominee.

It started early Sunday when a conservative political commentator posted on X that reports were circulating that Young would vote against confirming Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. There were no sources in the post.

He tagged the state’s senior senator, who hasn’t been a fan of President Donald Trump in the past.

The move came after Young had some tough questions for Gabbard during an earlier confirmation hearing, specifically about NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

Then around noon on Sunday, Meghan McCain – daughter of former U.S. Sen. John McCain — quoted that earlier unconfirmed report.

“@SenToddYoung is the new Liz Cheney. Do the people of Indiana who voted for him know he is actively trying to stop @TulsiGabbard from getting her job she earned?”

Then it got worse, according to the New York Post.

X owner Elon Musk around the same time called Young a “deep state puppet” and criticized Young’s ties to the National Endowment for Democracy, a nongovernmental organization that promotes democracy around the world.

Musk later deleted that post and said this instead: “Just had an excellent conversation with @SenToddYoung. I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy.”

Young’s office wouldn’t clarify his position on Gabbard, saying only “Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a great conversation on a number of subjects and policy areas where they have a shared interest, like DOGE.”

Young, a moderate Republican, has been known for occasionally bucking Trump in the past. And he worked across the aisle to pass the Chips and Science Act to buttress the manufacturer of semiconductor chips in the United States.

But he has supported all of Trump’s nominees so far this year, including Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. And Young said on X that he will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Department of Health and Human Services.