Breaking one glass ceiling after another through her concurrent time in uniform and public office, Tulsi Gabbard is making fresh waves with her selection as the USA’s Director of National Intelligence.
By Nichola Marie
“I am pleased to announce that former Congresswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard, will serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans,” said US President-elect Donald Trump, as he made the announcement about Gabbard, a former Democrat and the first-ever Hindu elected to the US Congress. He added, “As a former candidate for the Democratic 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. Tulsi will make us all proud.”
Gabbard’s nomination by Trump in a pivotal role as DNI underscores her reputation as a fearless and independent thinker. Her supporters believe that her independent mindset and calls for intelligence reform could bring much-needed accountability to the sector. Set apart as a trailblazer and a figure of global significance by virtue of her military service, deep spiritual roots, and fearless political stance, she holds “a unique position as a leader willing to challenge norms and forge her path.”
Political & Military Experience
She comes with vast political experience – a four-term Congressman and presidential candidate in 2020. The first woman to graduate at the top of her class from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy in 2007, she is a war veteran with three deployments to war zones in the Middle East and Africa.
Gabbard was just 21 when she first served in elected office in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. Post the 9/11 attacks, she enlisted in the Army National Guard. 2004 saw her give up an easy re-election campaign to volunteer to deploy to Iraq with the 29th Brigade Combat Team where she served in a medical unit. Returning home in 2006, she worked in the US Senate as a legislative aide to the late Senator Danny Akaka. She went on to volunteer for a second Middle East deployment as a platoon leader. She also served in the US Army Reserves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
At 31, after a first-hand experience of the real price of war, she ran for United States Congress, determined to honour the lives and sacrifice of soldiers. After prevailing in a difficult election, she served in Congress for eight years as a member of the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs Committees.
Serving as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 to 2016, she stepped down to support Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 race to the White House.
In 2020, she refrained from running for re-election to Congress, to run for president as a Democrat. At the time, she came to attention for her sharp criticism of Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, particularly for Harris’ prosecutorial record in California during a debate.
Two years later, in October 2022, she announced she was becoming an independent and leaving the Democrat party. During this time, she became involved in hosting her own podcast and speaking at conservative events. In April 2024, her first book – ‘For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind’ released and, the following week, soared to number four on the ‘New York Times’ Bestsellers List.
This year, in August, she served a surprise when she formally endorsed Trump for a second term. She soon began serving as Co-Chair of his transition team. In October 2024, she joined the Republican party, declaring at a rally, “I’m proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I’m joining the Republican Party. I am joining the party of the people. The party of equality. The party that was founded to fight against and end slavery in this country. It is the party of common sense and the party that is led by a president who has the courage and strength to fight for peace.”
Multicultural Roots
Gabbard, who is often mistaken to be of Indian origin because of her religion, has herself cleared the air about the same, maintaining she has no India link and is not of Indian origin. Her name Tulsi — which translates to Holy Basil in Sanskrit, regarded as an earthly manifestation of the Goddess Tulasi — was given to her by her mother, who became interested in Hinduism and gave all her children Hindu names.
Raised in a multicultural household, Gabbard is the fourth of five children born to Carol (née Porter) Gabbard who was born in Indiana and grew up in Michigan, and Mike Gabbard, who is of Samoan and European ancestry. She was born on April 12, 1981 in Leloaloa, Maʻopūtasi County, on American Samoa’s main island of Tutuila. In 1983, when she was two, the family moved back to Hawaii, where they lived in the late 1970s.
Enjoying pursuits such as surfing, martial arts and yoga during her childhood in Hawaii, she also imbibed Hindu spiritual principles, such as karma, from the ancient ‘Bhagavad Gita’. Guided during her school years by the teachings of SIF, a Vaishnava Hindu organisation in Hawaii, she settled into the Hindu faith in her teens.
Home-schooled till high school, she worked for several organisations in her early years, such as Stand Up For America (SUFA), which was founded by her father following the 9/11 attacks. From 1998 to 2004, she worked for The Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values, an anti-gay marriage political action committee. She also served as an educator for The Healthy Hawai’i Coalition, which promoted protection of Hawaii’s natural environment.
In 2002, while she was working as a self-employed martial arts instructor and studying television production at the Leeward Community College, Gabbard dropped out to run for election to the Hawaii House of Representatives. She succeeded, becoming the youngest woman, aged 21, ever elected as a US state representative.
A few years later, in 2009, she graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business.
A Matter Of Faith
According to an article in ‘Firstpost’, Gabbard’s Hindu faith has been at the core of her public and private life. “She made history as the first Hindu elected to the US Congress in 2013, taking her oath of office on the ‘Bhagavad Gita’. Over the years, she has actively promoted cultural and spiritual practices, including her advocacy for International Yoga Day, recognised by the United Nations in 2014. Her commitment to Hinduism extends beyond personal practice; she gifted a copy of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his US visit, symbolising her respect for her heritage and India-US ties.”
Her connection to India and advocacy for Hindu issues have been apparent in her speaking out against Pakistan’s support for terrorism and her call for accountability in cases like the 2021 violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Her solidarity with Kashmiri Pandits and vocal support for their plight also underscores her alignment with Hindu causes on the global stage. Her support for Yoga Day highlights her commitment to strengthening India-US relations, endearing her to Indian Americans, and fostering goodwill between the two countries. As DNI, it is believed that Gabbard may further align US intelligence and security policies with India’s concerns in counterterrorism and regional stability.
Supportive Partner
Gabbard is married to cinematographer Abraham Williams. In 2012, Williams was a volunteer on Gabbard’s campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives. A freelance photographer at the time, he took many well-known pictures of Gabbard during that period. Reconnecting a year-and-a-half later, when a mutual friend threw a birthday party for Gabbard, Williams asked her out. Their mutual love for the ocean would inspire Williams’ marriage proposal: He popped the question to Gabbard, complete with an attached ring, while they were out surfing. They married in 2015, on the eastern shore of Kahaluu, Hawaii, in a traditional Vedic ceremony.
Gabbard has also opened up about the couple’s fertility challenges, revealing that she had undergone several rounds of IVF, and how painful the journey had been for both of them: “As hard as this was for me, it was extremely hard for Abraham to just watch this heartbreak over and over again,” she said in an interview, adding that they decided to halt the IVF when she ran for president in 2020 and eventually decided to stop the process altogether.
A figure of courage and complexity, Gabbard is poised to leave her mark on the political landscape of the United States and its relationship with the world.
