Who is Tulsi Gabbard? Meet Hindu American appointed by Donald Trump as US Intelligence Chief

By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Nov 14, 2024, 9:10 AM IST

Former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard has been appointed as the Director of National Intelligence by Donald Trump. This marks Gabbard's first high-level government position and makes her the first Hindu to lead US intelligence agencies.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday picked former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). With this declaration, Tulsi Gabbard will serve as Trump's intelligence advisor and become the first Hindu Congresswoman to hold a position at the head of the US espionage agencies.

Trump said that Tulsi Gabbard is a “proud Republican” who may inspire the intelligence community with her “fearless spirit” on his social media network, Truth Social. "As a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, she has broad support in both parties. She is now a proud Republican!” he added.

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"Thank you, Donald Trump, for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security, and freedom of the American people," Gabbard said on her official X account, thanking him for choosing her for the position. I'm excited to start working.

Who is Tulsi Gabbard?

Tulsi Gabbard is a veteran of more than 20 years in the U.S. military. Her decision to endorse Trump earlier this year after severing her links with the Democratic Party in 2022 has struck a chord with Trump fans.

Despite having no direct ties to India, Tulsi Gabbard is frequently misidentified as having Indian ancestry due to her first name. Gabbard herself identifies as Hindu, and her mother, who became a Hindu, gave her children Hindu names. As the first Hindu to serve in the US Congress, she created history. Gabbard, who is of American Samoan heritage, held the Bhagavad Gita in her palm as she took the congressional oath.

In 2020, Gabbard made an attempt to secure a Democratic presidential nomination against Kamala Harris, accusing the party of not standing against the wars. She did, however, withdraw from the contest and finally quit the party in 2022, claiming that it was run by "woke" ideologues and a "elitist cabal of warmongers."

After defecting to the Republican Party in 2022, Gabbard backed Trump in his bid for the presidency and assisted him in getting ready for his debate with Kamala Harris.

During his more than 20 years in the Army National Guard, Gabbard has been deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. According to the Hawaii National Guard, she received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for her participation in "combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III."

Although Gabbard served on the House Homeland Security Committee for two years, she has not held high-level government positions like her predecessors. Avril Haines, the current director, became the first woman to occupy the job after years of serving in high-level intelligence and national security roles.

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