Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard
Official portrait, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard
Born	12 4, 1981
Birthplace	Leloaloa, American Samoa, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, military officer, intelligence official
Title	8th Director of National Intelligence
Known for	First Hindu American and Samoan American member of Congress; 8th Director of National Intelligence
Education	Hawaii Pacific University (BS)
Spouse(s)	Eduardo Tamayo (m. 2002; div. 2006) Abraham Williams (m. 2015)
Awards	Combat Medical Badge

Tulsi Gabbard (born April 12, 1981) is an American politician and military officer who has served as the eighth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) since February 2025. Born in American Samoa and raised in Hawaii, Gabbard entered public life at an early age, winning election to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2002 at the age of 21, making her one of the youngest state legislators in the country at the time. She subsequently served on the Honolulu City Council, in the Hawaii Army National Guard with deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, and as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021. Upon her election to Congress, she became the first Samoan American and the first Hindu member of the United States Congress. A member of the Democratic Party for most of her political career, Gabbard served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 to 2016 and ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She left the Democratic Party in 2022, registered as an independent, and joined the Republican Party in 2024 after endorsing Donald Trump for president. Following Trump's election victory, he nominated Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence, and she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February 2025, becoming the highest-ranking Pacific Islander American government official in U.S. history.

Early Life

Tulsi Gabbard was born on April 12, 1981, in Leloaloa, a village in American Samoa. Her father, Mike Gabbard, is a Samoan American politician who later served in the Hawaii Senate; her aunt is Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, a Samoan poet and academic. Gabbard's family moved to Hawaii when she was a young child, and she was raised on the island of Oahu.

Growing up in a multiethnic and multireligious household in Hawaii, Gabbard was raised in a family that practiced Hinduism, a faith she has publicly identified with throughout her political career. Her upbringing in Hawaii, with its diverse population and culture, shaped her worldview and later became a central element of her public identity. Gabbard was homeschooled for part of her education.

At the age of 21, Gabbard entered politics, running for a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives. She won election to represent the 42nd district in November 2002, succeeding Mark Moses, and became one of the youngest state legislators in the United States at that time. She served in the state legislature from November 2002 until November 2004, when she left office to serve in the military.

Education

Gabbard attended Leeward Community College in Hawaii before transferring to Hawaii Pacific University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Her educational path was intertwined with her military service, as she balanced her academic pursuits with her commitments to the Hawaii Army National Guard and her deployments overseas. In 2007, Gabbard completed the officer training program at the Alabama Military Academy, earning her commission as an officer in the Army National Guard.

Career

Hawaii House of Representatives (2002–2004)

Gabbard was elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2002, representing the 42nd district. She took office on November 5, 2002, succeeding Representative Mark Moses, and was one of the youngest elected officials in the state's history. During her time in the state legislature, she served as a member of the Democratic Party. She left office on November 2, 2004, and was succeeded by Rida Cabanilla. Her departure from the legislature coincided with her decision to volunteer for deployment with the Hawaii Army National Guard to Iraq.

Military Service

Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard in 2003, motivated in part by the September 11 attacks and the subsequent War on Terror. She was deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005, serving as a specialist with a medical unit attached to a field medical unit of the 29th Brigade Combat Team. During her service in Iraq, she earned the Combat Medical Badge for her work in a combat zone.

After returning from Iraq, Gabbard enrolled in the officer training program at the Alabama Military Academy in 2007, earning her commission as a second lieutenant. In 2008, she deployed to Kuwait as an Army Military Police officer, serving in a leadership role during her second overseas tour.

In 2015, while simultaneously serving in Congress, Gabbard was promoted to the rank of major in the Hawaii Army National Guard. She later transferred from the Hawaii Army National Guard to the U.S. Army Reserve in 2020 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2021. Her command assignments included the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion.

Honolulu City Council (2011–2012)

After returning from her second deployment, Gabbard re-entered civilian politics. She ran for a seat on the Honolulu City Council representing the 6th district. She won election and took office on January 2, 2011, succeeding Rod Tam.

During her time on the City Council, Gabbard worked on local governance issues including easing parking restrictions for food truck vendors to support small business owners in Honolulu. She also engaged with civil liberties issues during her tenure on the council.

In August 2012, Gabbard resigned from the Honolulu City Council to focus on her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was succeeded on the council by Carol Fukunaga.

U.S. House of Representatives (2013–2021)

2012 Election

Gabbard ran for the U.S. House of Representatives to succeed Mazie Hirono, who was running for the U.S. Senate, in Hawaii's 2nd congressional district. She campaigned as a Democrat and won the general election in November 2012. Upon taking office on January 3, 2013, she became the first Samoan American and the first Hindu member of the United States Congress, landmarks that drew national attention. She was sworn in using the Bhagavad Gita rather than a Bible, reflecting her Hindu faith.

Committee Assignments and Legislative Work

During her four terms in Congress, Gabbard served on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, assignments that reflected her military background and interest in national security and international affairs. In her fourth term, she also served on the HASC Subcommittee on Intelligence, which had oversight responsibility for military intelligence and counterterrorism programs.

On foreign policy, Gabbard supported the military campaign to defeat Islamic extremist groups but opposed broader U.S. military intervention in the Syrian civil war. Her position on Syria distinguished her from many of her Democratic colleagues and became one of the most notable aspects of her congressional tenure.

Gabbard was recognized for her advocacy on environmental and public lands issues. In 2015, she was honored by the National Parks Conservation Association for her support of national parks.

Democratic National Committee Vice Chair (2013–2016)

Alongside her congressional duties, Gabbard served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from January 22, 2013, to February 27, 2016, under chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She succeeded Mike Honda in the role and was succeeded by Grace Meng.

In February 2016, Gabbard resigned from her DNC position to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Her resignation and endorsement were significant because they broke with the DNC's institutional support for Hillary Clinton and positioned Gabbard as an ally of the party's progressive, anti-establishment wing. The decision brought her considerable national attention and a following among progressive voters who supported Sanders's candidacy.

2020 Presidential Campaign

Gabbard launched her campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, running on a platform centered on anti-interventionism and opposition to what she described as "regime change wars." Her candidacy was notable for its focus on foreign policy, particularly her calls to end U.S. military involvement in Syria and to pursue diplomacy over military confrontation. She also campaigned on populist economic themes.

During the primary campaign, Gabbard participated in several Democratic presidential debates. Her candidacy attracted both supporters who appreciated her anti-war stance and critics who questioned some of her foreign policy positions, particularly regarding Syria and Russia. In March 2020, Gabbard withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.

Party Transition and Conservative Shift (2021–2024)

After leaving Congress in January 2021, Gabbard's political positions shifted markedly. She took more conservative stances on issues including transgender rights, border security, and foreign policy. In 2022, she spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a prominent gathering of conservative activists and politicians, signaling her growing alignment with the political right.

In October 2022, Gabbard announced that she was leaving the Democratic Party, citing what she described as the party's drift toward elitism and authoritarianism. She registered as an independent. Her departure from the Democratic Party was a high-profile event that received extensive media coverage and reflected broader political realignments in the United States during that period.

In 2024, Gabbard endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election and formally joined the Republican Party. She became an active surrogate for the Trump campaign and participated in debate preparation with the former president.

Director of National Intelligence (2025–present)

Nomination and Confirmation

Following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election, he nominated Gabbard to serve as the Director of National Intelligence, the principal intelligence adviser to the president and the head of the United States Intelligence Community. The nomination drew scrutiny from some senators and commentators who questioned Gabbard's past statements regarding Syria and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Supporters, including many military veterans and Republican lawmakers, pointed to her military service, her two overseas deployments, and her congressional experience on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees as qualifications for the role.

On February 12, 2025, Gabbard was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, succeeding Avril Haines as the eighth Director of National Intelligence. Her deputy is Aaron Lukas. Her confirmation made her the highest-ranking Pacific Islander American government official in U.S. history.

Tenure

Gabbard's tenure as DNI has been marked by several controversies. In early 2026, NBC News reported that Gabbard came under scrutiny for attending an FBI raid of a Georgia election hub, raising questions about the boundaries between intelligence oversight and domestic law enforcement. The DNI is prohibited by law from participating in domestic law enforcement activities. Gabbard stated that President Trump had asked her to attend and that she acted "well within my statutory authorities."

The New York Times reported that Gabbard brokered a call between President Trump and FBI agents following the Georgia election center search, during which the president directly questioned frontline agents about the operation. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on Gabbard to testify in person before the committee regarding both the Georgia incident and the Trump call with FBI agents.

Separately, a whistleblower complaint involving Gabbard was shared with Congress by the intelligence community watchdog after a monthslong delay. The complaint had initially been closed administratively by the intelligence community inspector general's office in June 2025 under prior leadership. The Wall Street Journal reported that Gabbard's office rejected Democratic efforts to access all the underlying material related to the whistleblower complaint, which reportedly involved a foreign conversation that discussed Jared Kushner and Iran.

Personal Life

Gabbard married Eduardo Tamayo in 2002; the couple divorced in 2006. In 2015, she married Abraham Williams, a cinematographer and photographer. According to reporting by The Times of India, Williams has maintained a preference for privacy and a relatively low public profile despite his wife's prominent political career.

Gabbard is a practitioner of Hinduism and has spoken publicly about her faith throughout her career. She was the first Hindu member of the United States Congress and took her oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita. Her father, Mike Gabbard, has served as a member of the Hawaii Senate. Her aunt, Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, is a Samoan poet and scholar.

Gabbard is a practitioner of martial arts and has spoken about the role of physical discipline in her life. She has been a resident of Hawaii for most of her life.

Recognition

Gabbard has received recognition from multiple organizations for her public service and military career. Her military decorations include the Combat Medical Badge, which she earned during her deployment to Iraq in 2004–2005. She was promoted through the ranks of the Hawaii Army National Guard and later the U.S. Army Reserve, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2021.

In 2014, Gabbard was included in Elle magazine and Gucci's list honoring women in Washington. In 2015, she was honored by the National Parks Conservation Association for her congressional work supporting national parks.

As the first Samoan American and Hindu American member of Congress, Gabbard's elections in 2012 represented milestones for both the Pacific Islander American and Hindu American communities in the United States. Her confirmation as Director of National Intelligence in 2025 made her the highest-ranking Pacific Islander American government official in U.S. history.

Legacy

Gabbard's political career is notable for its breadth and its ideological trajectory. She entered politics as a young Democrat in Hawaii, served in two war zones, and rose to become a member of Congress who broke barriers as the first Hindu and first Samoan American in that body. Her resignation from the DNC vice chairmanship to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016 marked her as a figure willing to break with party leadership, a tendency that would define much of her subsequent career.

Her 2020 presidential campaign, though unsuccessful, introduced her anti-interventionist foreign policy views to a national audience and established her as one of the most prominent voices in the Democratic Party skeptical of U.S. military engagements abroad. Her subsequent departure from the Democratic Party in 2022 and her endorsement of Donald Trump in 2024 represented one of the most high-profile partisan switches in recent American political history.

As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard oversees the 18 agencies that comprise the United States Intelligence Community. Her appointment has been both praised by supporters who cite her military and congressional credentials, and questioned by critics who have raised concerns about her past foreign policy positions and her conduct in office. Her tenure remains a subject of active political debate and congressional oversight.