President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the director of national intelligence.
Gabbard, who served four terms in Congress as a Democrat and ran in the Democratic presidential primary in 2020, has since left the party and was an avid Trump campaign surrogate during the 2024 election cycle.
“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans,” Trump said. “As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength.”
Her selection follow’s Trump’s pattern of picking loyalists and believers in his “America First” agenda to fill out his cabinet.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Thank you, [President-elect Trump], for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people,” she said. “I look forward to getting to work.”
Prior to her time in Congress, Gabbard served in the U.S. Army and deployed to the Middle East and Africa.
Trump has named most of his Cabinet officials, though they will have to be confirmed by the Senate. If all of Trump’s picks are confirmed, the national security-related Cabinet members will be Gabbard, John Ratcliffe (who served as DNI during the first Trump administration) as CIA director, Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as secretary of state.
Gabbard, in her time in Congress and running for president, identified herself as an anti-interventionist Iraq War veteran, which fits with Trump’s expected foreign policy strategies. Her confirmation hearing in the Senate could be contentious, given her previous stances have raised accusations of her being supportive of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The GOP is looking at having a narrow majority in the Senate, and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance could break a deadline, if needed. Near full support from the GOP will be required to confirm a nominee without bipartisan support.
