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Jimmy Williams
President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he has selected former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to serve as his director of national intelligence. Gabbard, who represented Hawaii from 2013 to 2021 and briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, will oversee the U.S. intelligence community if confirmed by the Senate.
“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans,” Trump said in a statement. “As a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, she has broad support in both parties — she is now a proud Republican!”
Trump praised Gabbard’s track record and promised that she would “bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community, championing our constitutional rights, and securing peace through strength.”
Gabbard’s background includes over 20 years in the Army National Guard with deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, as well as four terms in Congress where she served on the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs committees. Though Gabbard does not have formal experience in intelligence, her military background and bipartisan support could bolster her candidacy.
Her selection, however, has not come without controversy. Gabbard has been a vocal opponent of U.S. intervention in the war in Ukraine, often blaming Western involvement for escalating the conflict. In 2022, just as Russia prepared to invade Ukraine, Gabbard criticized the Biden administration for dismissing Russia’s “legitimate security concerns” about Ukraine potentially joining NATO. These views could complicate her relationships within the intelligence community, which has taken a strong stance on countering Russian influence globally.
Gabbard has also sparked controversy with her past stance on Syria, where she opposed U.S. involvement in the country’s civil war and famously met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017. While she later described Assad as a “brutal dictator,” her meeting and previous comments drew widespread condemnation.
Gabbard’s history of bucking party lines is well-documented. In 2016, she endorsed Bernie Sanders for president, stepping down from her position as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee to do so. She opted not to run for reelection to her House seat in 2020 and instead mounted a longshot bid for the Democratic nomination for president. By 2022, Gabbard announced she was leaving the Democratic Party, citing what she called an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and aligning herself more closely with conservative values.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Gabbard endorsed Trump and served as co-chair of his transition team alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., another former Democrat turned independent Trump supporter.
“Gabbard’s evolving political views show that she’s not confined to party politics — she’s willing to push boundaries to serve her country,” said a Trump campaign spokesperson. “She’s perfect for the DNI role as we re-envision what leadership in our intelligence community should be.”
If confirmed, Gabbard would join other prominent appointees Trump has tapped for national security roles, including Florida Rep. Michael Waltz as national security adviser, former Rep. John Ratcliffe as CIA director, and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense. Together, these selections reflect Trump’s intention to install loyalists and figures aligned with his foreign policy vision, which leans toward reducing U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts and focusing on “America First” priorities.
Gabbard’s Senate confirmation, however, could face a contentious path. Her foreign policy views have sometimes alienated both Democrats and Republicans, and her unconventional path from Democratic presidential candidate to Trump intelligence chief may invite scrutiny.
