On November 13, President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Democratic Party member Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in the United States. He praised Gabbard for bringing her brilliant career spirit to the intelligence community. This position will bring a legendary experience to Gabbard’s career as a former congresswoman and high-ranking Democrat.
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is responsible for overseeing and coordinating actions among all 18 intelligence agencies in the U.S., and for compiling daily briefings for the President to ensure the necessary key intelligence information for making correct decisions on national security and foreign policy.
At 43 years old, Gabbard herself does not have experience in the intelligence community, having served two years on the House Foreign Affairs Committee during her time in Congress.
However, Gabbard has strong stances on foreign affairs, such as her belief that aside from taking strong actions against terrorism, the U.S. should not engage in military interventions abroad. She has openly criticized the Biden administration’s substantial aid to Ukraine, attributing the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the improper decisions of the Biden administration and NATO.
These major decisions are often based on intelligence assessments. Gabbard’s perspectives and positions frequently differ from the conclusions drawn by the U.S. intelligence community. One of her reasons for supporting Trump in the 2024 presidential election is the perceived issues within the Biden administration’s foreign policy.
Reorganizing the intelligence community is one of Trump’s priorities in his second term as President. He previously stated in 2023, “We will rid all corrupt actors from the national security and intelligence agencies.”
In his statement nominating Gabbard as his new government’s Director of National Intelligence, Trump said, “For over two decades, Tulsi has been fighting for our country and the freedom of all Americans. As a former Democratic presidential nominee, she received broad support from both parties – she is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring her fearless spirit from her brilliant career to our intelligence community, defending our constitutional rights and ensuring peace through strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”
On the 13th, Gabbard, in an interview with Fox News, stated that she had a pleasant conversation with President Trump and has accepted the position. She expressed pride in working in Trump’s cabinet and aims to help the U.S. avoid being dragged into a third world war.
Looking at the multifaceted information available, Tulsi Gabbard’s journey from switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, and becoming a steadfast ally of Trump, is legendary.
Gabbard has served in the U.S. Army National Guard since 2003, with over two decades of service. She was deployed to Iraq for a 12-month mission in 2004 and stationed in Kuwait from 2008 to 2009. She was one of the first women to enter military facilities in Kuwait and the first woman to receive the Kuwaiti National Guard’s Certificate of Appreciation.
Gabbard is a recipient of the U.S. Combat Medical Badge and the Meritorious Service Medal. She has also received the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency.
In 2020, Gabbard left the Hawaii Army National Guard and joined the Army Reserve in California for a new mission. In July 2021, she was promoted to the rank of Major.
Tulsi Gabbard is the first female Congresswoman from American Samoa and the first Congress member to practice Hinduism. She was born in American Samoa, though neither of her parents has Indian ancestry.
Since her mother was interested in Hinduism and gave her children Hindu names, Tulsi’s name means “holy basil” in Sanskrit, symbolizing the goddess “Tulasi” incarnated in the mortal world.
As a teenager, Tulsi converted to Hinduism and grew up in Hawaii, where surfing, martial arts, and yoga became lifelong passions.
From Hinduism, Gabbard learned the concept of “Karma” and followed its principles along with Buddhist teachings as spiritual guidance. She regularly practices yoga, meditation, and her husband, a cinematographer, later embraced her faith as well.
In 2014, as a Congresswoman, Gabbard supported Indian Prime Minister Modi’s efforts to declare International Yoga Day at the United Nations.
From 2013 to 2021, Gabbard served four terms as a Congresswoman representing Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District.
When Gabbard first ran for Congress in 2012 as a Democratic candidate, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi noted her as a “rising star.”
In January 2013, as a newcomer to the House of Representatives, Gabbard was elected as the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
During the 2016 election, Gabbard criticized the DNC for favoring Hillary Clinton, violating the DNC’s neutrality principle towards all Democratic presidential candidates in the primary. She resigned as vice chair of the DNC after being told to remain silent.
Between 2013 and 2017, Gabbard frequently criticized then-President Barack Obama for not recognizing the terrorist organization ISIS as America’s “real enemy.”
In her fourth term in Congress in 2019, Gabbard announced her candidacy for President. Her campaign platform included opposing U.S. involvement in foreign military conflicts.
After failing to gain traction in the Democratic primary, Gabbard dropped out of the race, switching her support to former Vice President Joe Biden. She also criticized the opaque Democratic National Committee debate qualification criteria and accused the media and the Democratic Party of “manipulating” the 2020 election.
After leaving Congress in January 2021, Gabbard launched her podcast and frequently criticized high-ranking Democrats on Fox News, such as then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Adam Schiff.
Schiff was one of the main Democratic leaders pushing for Trump’s impeachment in Congress. In December 2019, during the House vote on the first impeachment of Trump, Gabbard voted “present,” essentially an “abstain” vote, believing that “the issue of removing Trump should be left to the voters.” Additionally, Gabbard feared that impeaching Trump could lead to Democratic failures in future presidential elections and the loss of the majority in the House of Representatives.
Following the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022, Gabbard stated that NATO and the Biden administration’s inability to rule out Ukraine’s potential joining of NATO contributed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She also opposed economic sanctions against Russia, citing concerns of increased oil and gas prices impacting Americans. Gabbard also believed that Washington elites were attempting to turn Ukraine into another Afghanistan.
In October 2022, Gabbard announced her departure from the Democratic Party on former Twitter (now X-platform), accusing Democratic leadership of being “woke cowards,” engaging in “anti-white” racism, and displaying hostility towards those with faith and spiritual pursuits, bringing the world closer to nuclear war.
Subsequently, Gabbard began supporting several Republican candidates endorsed by Trump in the 2022 midterm elections, campaigning for them, including endorsing JD Vance, the current Vice President-elect and Trump’s running mate, for the U.S. Senator from Ohio.
Gabbard endorsed Trump’s third presidential campaign in 2024. In February, Trump met with Gabbard at Mar-a-Lago to discuss the future of American foreign policy.
It was speculated back then that Trump might consider Gabbard as his vice presidential running mate to appeal to moderate Democratic voters. During the Republican presidential primaries earlier this year, Fox News predicted Gabbard to be selected as Trump’s running partner.
On August 26, Gabbard supported Trump’s re-election at a Michigan National Guard Association rally. The following day, she was appointed as the honorary co-chair of Trump’s transition team.
In the final months leading up to the 2024 election, Gabbard, alongside former Democratic stalwart Robert F. Kennedy Jr., intensively campaigned for Trump.
Gabbard also helped prepare Trump for the presidential debate against the Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President, Harris, which took place on September 10.
Just before the election day on November 5, not only did Trump win a landslide victory, but the Republicans also gained a majority in the Senate with 53 seats. The confirmation process for Trump’s new cabinet members in the Senate is expected to proceed smoothly.
If confirmed, Gabbard will lead the U.S. intelligence community alongside Trump’s nominee for the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, to thoroughly reform the American intelligence community.