Many in the White House were “rattled” by her refusal to directly answer a question about Edward Snowden, said one person familiar with the White House’s thinking.

Curt Mills Gabbard, who has a reputation as an outsider, looked like a seasoned political professional from the very start. Her opening line was a home run: She said she was motivated to be director of national intelligence because of the intelligence failures that led to the war in Iraq.