Tulsi Gabbard Is Donald Trump’s Pick for Director of National Intelligence

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, has been nominated to serve as the Director of National Intelligence by President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump has been filling the staffing positions for his administration. He recently announced additions like Kristi Noem, Susie Wiles, Elise Stefanik and Tom Homan. Trump said Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit” to her position” while “championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength.”
“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican!” Trump wrote. “Tulsi will make us all proud!”
Gabbard posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that she is looking forward to serving as the Director of National Intelligence.
“Thank you, @realDonaldTrump, for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people,” Gabbard posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “I look forward to getting to work.”
Gabbard served in the Army National Guard for over two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. She served in the field medical unit in Iraq and was an Army Military Police platoon leader in Kuwait. She later became a Major with the Hawaii National Guard and in 2021 she was promoted to Lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve.
From 2013 to 2021, Gabbard served as a representative from Hawaii. She was the first Samoan-American member of Congress, and when she started her political career in 2002 she became the youngest woman to get elected to the Hawaii state legislature.
While in Congress, Gabbard took on Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. She often criticized then-President Barack Obama on his stances. Gabbard has not worked with the intelligence community directly, outside of House committees.
In 2022, Gabbard was condemned as a “traitor” and accused of being a “Russian asset” for comments her detractors said lent credibility to Kremlin propaganda that U.S.-funded laboratories are working on bioweapons in Ukraine. Gabbard had asserted, accurately, that the U.S. funds bio labs in Ukraine, not bioweapons labs.
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger tweeted that Gabbard was spreading “actual Russian propaganda” and accused her of being “traitorous.”
Others also accused Gabbard of appearing to be working on behalf of Russia by helping them spread conspiracy theories about U.S.-funded bio labs in Ukraine.
Former Republican Sen. Mitt Romney gave some of the harshest condemnation of the former Hawaii Democratic Congresswoman at the time, tweeting that she is “parroting false Russian propaganda” and that her “treasonous lies may well cost lives.”
Last month, Gabbard described Vice President Kamala Harris as a “main instigator” in the Ukraine war, blaming her for the approach of nuclear war.
The former Hawaii congresswoman said that the Democratic presidential nominee’s stance on Ukraine becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) prior to the war was a key reason for the outbreak of the war with Russia.
Speaking on conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s podcast on Wednesday, Gabbard said that Harris’ foreign policy had brought the U.S. to “the brink of World War III.”
Gabbard said, “Kamala Harris was in Europe a few days before Putin invaded Ukraine, speaking very clearly and loudly about how Ukraine should become a member of NATO. This was one of the main instigators, crossing the red line that Russia, during Putin’s reign and before him, has held.
“For any objective-minded person, you can see why they wouldn’t want NATO missiles sitting in Ukraine, the country with the biggest border with Russia. Kamala Harris has put us, the American people, in this position, where we are closer to the brink of World War III and nuclear war than we ever have been before.
“We are staring down the barrel of nuclear Armageddon because of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.”
In 2020, Gabbard ran as a Democratic presidential candidate. She resigned to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders, but later endorsed President Joe Biden. Gabbard later left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become an independent.
Gabbard has been a fill-in anchor on Fox News and has been seen on the campaign trail sharing Trump’s views on his campaign trail.
She endorsed Trump in August and criticized the Democratic Party for no longer having a place for her. The former congresswoman previously ran for the party’s presidential nomination in 2020, clashing on the debate stage with then-Senator Kamala Harris over the Californian’s record as an attorney general.
In October, Gabbard said she decided to join the Republican Party while she was addressing the crowd at Trump’s rally in North Carolina.
“To those of you here or those watching at home who are independent-minded people like myself, who love our country and are committed to the Constitution and to freedom, the Democratic Party has no home for people like us,” Gabbard said. “But we do have a home in the Republican Party where we are welcomed with open arms by President Trump.”
“I’m proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I’m joining the Republican Party,” she added.
Trump said that he “didn’t know” Gabbard had decided to join the GOP, adding, “That was a surprise.”
Steve Bannon, who was formerly one of Trump’s closest advisers, had picked Gabbard as one of the key figures for Trump’s transition team while speaking with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Gabbard had previously hinted to Fox News that she was open to a Cabinet position.
When asked about serving, the erstwhile Democrat said: “We are all very, very focused on winning this election, getting out and reaching and speaking the truth about Kamala Harris’ record and Donald Trump’s record to voters. That will be an important task that will continue after Election Day.”
When pressed by Kilmeade—who said: “That’s not a no. That means that you’d be relatively open to it, right?”—Gabbard replied that she would be.
There have already been talks about how Gabbard is coming to the role as “somewhat of an outsider, compared to her predecessor,” according to the Associated Press. The current Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, was confirmed in 2021 by Senate after she had served in a number of top national security and intelligence positions.
Update: 11/13/24, 4:58 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.