Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat and the first elected Hindu member of the US Congress, was named the Director of National Intelligence for the second term of President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday.
Tulsi Gabbard is a seasoned soldier with three deployments in war zones in the Middle East and Africa. She is a four-time congresswoman, 2020 presidential candidate, and New York Times bestselling author. She recently changed her political affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
She isn’t expected to face much difficulty in Senate confirmation, where Trump’s fellow Republicans will hold a majority of at least 52 to 48 seats early next year. According to a statement issued by Trump, “I know Tulsi will bring that fearless spirit to our intelligence community that has defined her remarkable career, advocated for our constitutional rights, and achieved peace through strength. The former Democrat responded by thanking Trump “for the chance to be a part of your cabinet to defend the freedom, security, and safety of the American people.”
At the age of 31, Gabbard entered the US Congress with the goal of honouring the efforts and lives of her fellow service members after personally experiencing the actual cost of war. She was a member of the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs Committees in Congress for eight years after winning a difficult race. She decided to run as a Democrat for president in 2020 rather than for re-election to Congress.
She declared her intention to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent in October 2022. Gabbard began co-chairing Trump’s transition team shortly after formally endorsing him for a second term on August 26, 2024. She joined the Republican Party on October 22, 2024, according to the news release, because of the newly elected President Trump’s leadership and his ability to turn the party back into a party of the people and a party of peace.
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