In 2024, Gabbard endorsedDonald Trump for thepresidential election and joined the Republican Party later that year. After Trump nominated Gabbard for DNI, her past statements on Syria and theRussian invasion of Ukraine drew scrutiny and concern. Many veterans and Republicans defended Gabbard's record, noting her military service and Congressional experience. In February 2025, she was confirmed by the Senate, becoming the highest-rankingPacific Islander American government official in U.S. history.
Early life and education
Gabbard was born on April 12, 1981, inLeloaloa onAmerican Samoa's main island ofTutuila.[1][2] She is the fourth of five children born toG. Michael (Mike) Gabbard and his wife Carol (née Porter).[3] In 1983, when she was two years old, her family moved back toHawaii, where they had lived in the late 1970s.[4][5][6] Her mother was born inIndiana and grew up inMichigan,[7] and her father, who is ofSamoan andEuropean ancestry,[8][9] was born in American Samoa; he grew up in Hawaii andFlorida. Her name is derived from the wordtulasi (tulsi), an herb.[10]
Gabbard grew up inHonolulu.[8] During her early years, Gabbard's parents owned a vegetarian restaurant,The Natural Deli inMoiliili, Hawaii, a neighbood of Honolulu.[5][11] Gabbard participated in surfing, martial arts, andyoga as a child.[12][13][4] She was mostlyhome schooled[14][15] except for two years at a girls' school in the Philippines.[16][17] Gabbard learned spiritual principles likekarma, from the ancient Indian textBhagavad Gita.[4][18][19] As a teenager, she adopted theHindu faith.[3][20][21]
As a young adult, Gabbard worked forStand Up For America (SUFA), founded by her father in the wake of theSeptember 11 attacks.[22][23][24] Around 2001, Gabbard's father got active in local politics and was elected to theHonolulu City Council.[25] She was also associated with her father'sThe Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values, an anti-gay marriagepolitical action committee.[26][27][28] Gabbard briefly worked as an educator with theHealthy Hawai'i Coalition, which promoted protection of Hawaii's natural environment.[29] She also worked as a self-employedmartial arts instructor.[30]
Gabbard at the ceremony of her promotion to major on October 12, 2015
In April 2003, while serving in the Hawaii State Legislature, Gabbard enlisted in theHawaii Army National Guard.[38] In July 2004, she was deployed for a 12-month tour inIraq, serving as aspecialist with the Medical Company, 29th Support Battalion,29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Hawaii Army National Guard.[39][40] In Iraq, Gabbard served atLogistical Support Area Anaconda, completing her tour in 2005.[41][42] Because of the deployment, she chose not to campaign for reelection to the state legislature.[43]
In March 2007, she graduated from the AcceleratedOfficer Candidate School at theAlabama Military Academy at the top of her class, the first woman ever to do so.[30] After successfully completing officer training, Gabbard was commissioned as asecond lieutenant, and assigned to the 29th Infantry Brigade Special Troops Battalion, this time to serve as anArmy Military Police officer.[47][48] She was stationed inKuwait from 2008 to 2009 as an Army Military Police platoon leader.[47][49] She was one of the first women to enter a Kuwaiti military facility,[50][51] as well as the first woman to receive an award of appreciation from theKuwait National Guard.[52][50]
On July 4, 2021, Gabbard was promoted to the rank oflieutenant colonel,[57][58] while she was deployed to theHorn of Africa working as a civil affairs officer in support of aspecial operations mission.[57][59][60] Next, she was given the command of the 1st Battalion, 354th Regiment, based inTulsa, Oklahoma.[61][62] She reportedly maintained a top-secret security clearance during her military service.[63]
In 2002, afterredistricting, Gabbard (then credited as Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo or simply Tulsi Tamayo)[64] won the four-candidate Democratic primary for the 42nd district of theHawaii House of Representatives with a plurality of 43% of the vote. Gabbard then won the general election with 60.7% of the vote, defeating Republican Alfonso Jimenez.[65][66] At the age of 21, Gabbard became the youngest legislator ever elected in Hawaii's history, and was at the time the youngest woman ever elected to a U.S. state legislature.[30][33]
In 2004, Gabbard filed for reelection but then volunteered forArmy National Guard service in Iraq.Rida Cabanilla, who filed to run against her, called on Gabbard to resign because she would not be able to effectively represent her district from Iraq.[67] While she legally would have been allowed to hold her seat, a directive from theDefense Department issued in August 2004 would have forbidden her from voting on bills or fulfilling other duties of her elective office for the duration of her active duty deployment.[68] Gabbard announced in August 2004 that she would not campaign for a second term,[43] and Cabanilla won the Democratic primary with 58% of the vote.[69] State law prevented the removal of Gabbard's name from the ballot.[70]
Honolulu City Council (2011–2012)
After returning home from her second deployment to the Middle East in 2009, Gabbard ran for a seat on theHonolulu City Council vacated by City CouncilmanRod Tam, of the 6th district, who decided to retire to run formayor of Honolulu.[71] In the 10-candidate nonpartisan open primary in September 2010, Gabbard finished first with 26.8% of the vote.[72] The seat represented parts ofdowntown Honolulu, includingAlewa Heights,Kalihi Valley, and areas ofMakiki andKalihi. During her campaign for the council, Gabbard was still publicly known as "Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo".[73] During her campaign, Gabbard's opponents accused her of improperly using her tax-exemptStand Up for America nonprofit to promote her candidacy. The organization (which as a501(c)(3) organization was forbidden from endorsing political candidates) included content on its website which promoting her candidacy (including hyperlinks to her campaign website, as well as a reprint of a press release by her campaign). Gabbard called this an "honest mistake" by one of the organization's volunteers, and denied having had knowledge of it.[74] Gabbard won election in the November 2runoff election, capturing 49.5% of the vote and defeating Sesnita Moepono.[75]
While on the council, Gabbard introduced a measure to help food truck vendors by loosening parking restrictions.[76] She also introduced Bill 54, a measure that authorized city workers to confiscate personal belongings stored on public property with 24 hours notice to its owner.[77][78] After overcoming opposition from theAmerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)[79] and Occupy Hawai'i,[80] Bill 54 passed and became City Ordinance 1129.
United States House of Representatives (2013–2021)
In early 2011,Mazie Hirono, the incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative forHawaii's 2nd congressional district, announced her candidacy for theU.S. Senate. In May 2011, Gabbard declared her candidacy for the open House seat.[81] The Democratic mayor of Honolulu,Mufi Hannemann, was considered the frontrunner in the six-way primary, but Gabbard won with 55% of the vote. TheHonolulu Star-Advertiser wrote about her victory saying it was an "improbable rise from a distant underdog to victory."[82] She resigned from theHonolulu City Council on August 16, 2012, to focus on her congressional campaign.[83][84]
As the Democratic nominee, Gabbard was invited by House Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi to speak at the2012 Democratic National Convention, where she was introduced as "an emerging star."[85][86] Gabbard was one of three female House candidates that were chosen to speak on-stage during a segment of the convention highlighting female membership in the party's House delegation. In her remarks (approximately one minute in length), she touched on her military background and praised PresidentBarack Obama and Vice PresidentJoe Biden (the party's national ticket) as "the strongest advocates military families could have".[87] In the general election, she defeated RepublicanKawika Crowley with 80.6% of the vote,[88] becoming the first votingSamoan American[89][90] and the firstHindu member of Congress.[91][92]
In December 2012, Gabbard applied for appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death ofDaniel Inouye.[93] Despite support from some prominent mainland Democrats,[94][95] she was not among the three candidates forwarded to the governor by theHawaii Democratic Party.[96]
In March 2013, she introduced theHelping Heroes Fly Act[97] to expedite airport security screening for severely wounded veterans.[98][99] The bill received bipartisan support, passed unanimously in both chambers of Congress, and was signed into law by President Obama.[100] She also introduced the House version of theMilitary Justice Improvement Act.[101][102][103]
Gabbard was reelected in 2014, defeating Crowley again with 78.7% of the vote.[104] She co-sponsored a bill with Senator Hirono to award theCongressional Gold Medal to Filipino andFilipino American veterans ofWorld War II.[105] The bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in December 2016.[106][107]
In November 2015, Gabbard introducedTalia's Law, aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect on military bases. Congress passed the legislation in February 2016, and it was signed into law in December 2016.[108][109]
In the 2016 election, Gabbard was reelected with 81.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Angela Kaaihue.[110]
In 2017, she introduced theOff Fossil Fuels (OFF) Act, which aimed for a transition to 100%clean energy by 2035.[111][112] In 2018, she introduced theSecuring America's Election Act, requiring all voting districts to use paper ballots to ensure an auditable paper trail. The bill was endorsed by the nonpartisan watchdog group Common Cause.[113]
Gabbard was reelected in 2018, defeating Republican Brian Evans with 77.4% of the vote.[114] In September 2018, she and Republican RepresentativeWalter Jones co-sponsored theNo More Presidential Wars Act to reaffirm Congress's authority over war declarations.[115]
On October 25, 2019, Gabbard announced she would not seek reelection in 2020, citing her presidential campaign.[116][117] During the campaign, she faced criticism for missing votes,[118] particularly the vote on Syria, though her absentee rate was similar to other members of Congress running for president.[119][120] Between October and December 2019, she missed 85% of votes[121] but cast a "present" vote on botharticles of impeachment in thefirst impeachment of Donald Trump.[122] After suspending her presidential campaign in March 2020, she resumed regular attendance.[123]
In July 2020, Gabbard met with the family ofVanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army soldier and victim ofmilitary sexual harassment who was found murdered after previously being reported missing.[124] Gabbard said that as a fellow service member in the U.S. Army, she was "stand[ing] here for Vanessa", "for her family", and called for reforms to address military sexual harassment.[125]
In August 2020, she advocated for Jennifer Smith, aHawaii Department of Health epidemiologist who reported issues with the state'sCOVID-19contact tracing program.[126] Smith was placed onpaid leave,[127] and Gabbard continued to support her until she was reinstated in November 2020.[128] In September 2020, Gabbard converted her presidential campaign committee,Tulsi Now, intoTulsi Aloha, aleadership PAC.[129] That same month, she criticizedNetflix over the filmCuties, arguing that it contributed to the exploitation of children.[130]
In October 2020, she and RepresentativeMatt Gaetz introduced a bill calling for the U.S. to drop criminal charges againstEdward Snowden.[131] She also introduced a similar bill with RepresentativeThomas Massie advocating forJulian Assange's release from prison in the United Kingdom.[132]
House committee assignments (2013–2021)
During her tenure in Congress, Gabbard served on multiple committees, focusing on military, foreign affairs, and financial issues. Notably, she was a long-time member of the House Armed Services Committee, where she worked on defense funding, military readiness, and intelligence oversight. In 2018, she successfully passed an amendment to improve protective equipment for civil defense agencies near volcanic activity.[133]
In her fourth term, she served on the Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence, which oversaw military intelligence, national security, and counterterrorism efforts. As a member of this subcommittee, she participated in key hearings on emerging threats, such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence in military operations.[134][135]
On January 22, 2013, Gabbard was unanimously elected as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).[145] In September 2015, she criticized DNC chairDebbie Wasserman Schultz's decision to limit the number of debates in the2016 Democratic primary.[146][147] Following her criticism, she was reportedly asked not to attend the October 2015 debate in Las Vegas.[148][149]
During the2016 election, she was listed as Sanders's running mate for write-in votes in California.[158] Shortly after the election, she was mentioned as a potential2020 presidential candidate.[159][160] A Minnesotafaithless elector cast a vote for Sanders as president and Gabbard as vice president, though this vote was nullified per state law.[161]
Gabbard speaking at the state Democratic Party convention in San Francisco, June 2019Tulsi Gabbard 2020 presidential campaign logo
In February 2019, Gabbard officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign.[162][163][164] She was the first femalecombat veteran to run for president.[165]CNN described her foreign policy platform asanti-interventionist and her economic platform aspopulist.[162] Gabbard was the most frequentlyGoogled candidate after the first, second, and fourth2020 Democratic primary debates.[166][167][168] During the second debate, Gabbard criticizedKamala Harris's record as attorney general of California, accusing her of holding innocent people on death row and asserting that Harris owed them an apology.[169][170]
In the second debate, when asked about her meeting with Assad, she said she "will never apologize for doing all that I can to prevent more of my brothers and sisters from being sent into harm's way to fight counterproductive regime change wars that made our country less safe.... [I]f that means meeting with a dictator or meeting with an adversary, absolutely, I would do it. This is about the national security of our country." WhenAnderson Cooper asked if she considered Assad a torturer and murderer, Gabbard responded "That's not what this is about. I don't defend or apologize or have anything to do with what he has done." Cooper repeated his question, asking if she agreed that "Assad is a murderer and a torturer"; Gabbard responded "I don't dispute that."[171]
In a CNN panel discussion the next day,A.B. Stoddard, associate editor ofReal Clear Politics, observed: "it is all over the internet today that the Russian bots are helping Tulsi Gabbard [and] that [she] refuses to condemn Assad because she's doing the work of the Russians and is going to run as a third-party spoiler and reelect Trump." Stoddard continued: "There are serious knives out for Tulsi Gabbard."[172]
While Gabbard did not meet the polling threshold for the third presidential debate,[173][174] she did qualify for the fourth debate in Ohio in October 2019.[175][176][177] In July 2019, Gabbard was the only 2020 presidential candidate to visitPuerto Rico and join protests urging GovernorRicardo Rosselló to resign.[178][179]
In September 2019,Vanity Fair summarized media coverage of Gabbard's presidential campaign as "the press hates Gabbard even more than it hates Sanders".[180]The Hill's news anchorKrystal Ball and Chief Washington CorrespondentSaagar Enjeti both described Gabbard as "the most unfairly maligned person in Washington".[181] Ball noted that Gabbard had been "dismissed and otherized" by the media, with her campaign scrutinized for alleged Russian ties, citing as examples:NBC News suggestion that her campaign was enhanced by Russian bots,[182] based on a group that had in another instance been revealed for fabricating such claims; and TheDaily Beast's accusation she was being supported by "Putin apologists," citing a small percentage of her donors.[183] Ball said, "Her interaction with Assad is weaponized to undercut everything else Tulsi has to say about the American warfighting machine," pointing out that critics often have "a bit of a blind spot about their own foreign policy positions."[184]Lexico-statistical analysis showed Gabbard received the most negative coverage during the June–September period.[185]
In October 2019, formersecretary of state and 2016 presidential nomineeHillary Clinton suggested that Gabbard was a "Russian asset".[186][187] Gabbard was defended by fellow 2020 Democratic presidential candidatesAndrew Yang,Pete Buttigieg andBernie Sanders, who rejected Clinton's suggestion that Gabbard was a Russian asset.[188] Trump also defended Gabbard.[189] Initial news stories had mistakenly also reported Clinton claimed Russia was "grooming" Gabbard to run as athird-party candidate, who would help presidentDonald Trump win reelection via aspoiler effect.[190] However, Gabbard had repeatedly said she would not run as a third-party candidate in 2020 and did not do so.[191][192][193][194] CNN hostVan Jones, meanwhile, opined that Clinton's statement was "a complete smear with no facts".[195] Gabbard herself condemned Clinton's remarks in tweets, calling Clinton "the queen of warmongers" and the "personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long." She claimed there was a campaign to destroy her reputation, orchestrated by Clinton via proxies in media and the war machine.[196][195][186] In January 2020, Gabbard filed a legaldefamation lawsuit against Clinton over the 'Russian asset' assertion[197][198] as indicated in the complaint;[199] but dropped it five months later with her lawyers saying that the legal merit was valid but, living in a "post-Covid world", they could better focus their attention elsewhere.[200]
Also in October 2019,The Nation's James Carden wrote: "McCarthyism had gone mainstream" as media attacked Gabbard. He saw the Clinton-Gabbard feud as part of "a long campaign of vilification against critics of the Russia consensus" by Clinton and "her allies in the media (which very much include certain former high-ranking members of the US intelligence community)".[201] After both the November and December 2019 debates,Saturday Night Live's parodies of the debates showed Gabbard as the villain, introduced her with menacing music and flashing lights and had her actress laughing evil and making threats.[202][203][204]
On March 3, 2020, Gabbard, who is of Samoan descent, earned two delegates in American Samoa,[205] making her the second woman of color (afterShirley Chisholm) and the first Asian-American and Pacific-Islander presidential candidate to earn primary delegates.[206] As of March 15, she was one of the three remaining candidates alongside Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders who had not suspended their campaigns. In an interview on Fox, she highlighted a Rasmussen poll showing that 49% of voters supported her inclusion in debates with Sanders and Biden, and accused the DNC and the media of attempting to "shut her down" since her campaign's inception through tactics like character assassination, media blackouts, and blocking her message from reaching the public.[207] On March 19, 2020, she dropped out of the 2020 election and endorsed former vice president Joe Biden.[208][209][210][211] Gabbard was the only candidate with primary delegates to not be invited to the2020 Democratic National Convention.[212]
Post-congressional activities (2021–2025)
In January 2021, Gabbard launched her own podcast, calledThis is Tulsi Gabbard.[213] She also made several appearances onFox News programs since leaving Congress, where she criticized figures such as House speakerNancy Pelosi and U.S. representativeAdam Schiff, calling the latter a "domestic terrorist" for what she deemed as his attempt to "undermin[e] our constitution by trying to take away our civil liberties and rights" in the aftermath of the2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol.[214]
In November 2021, she celebrated the victory of Republican candidateGlenn Youngkin in theVirginia Gubernatorial election over Democratic candidateTerry McAuliffe, and tweeted, "McAuliffe's loss is a victory for all Americans. Why? Because it was a resounding rejection of efforts to divide us by race, the stripping of parental rights, and arrogant, deaf leaders. This benefits us all".[215] In an appearance onHannity in April 2022, she expressed support for Florida's publicly debatedParental Rights Bill, and said that in her opinion it did not go far enough in that it only covered grades K through 3, while Gabbard believed it should have continued all the way through twelfth grade.[216] (A follow-up bill in the state did just that one year later.[217]) In 2022 Gabbard spoke at theConservative Political Action Conference (CPAC),[218] drawing criticism from Hawaii Democrats.[219]
Party switch
On October 11, 2022, Gabbard announced on Twitter that she was leaving the Democratic Party, accusing its leadership of "cowardlywokeness, anti-white racism, [being] hostile to people of faith and spirituality, and dragging us closer to nuclear war".[220][221]
When Donald Trump entered the2024 Republican presidential primary, commentators suggested that he might consider Gabbard as a potential running mate.[224][225][226][227]On February 22, 2024, she was a featured speaker atCPAC, raising speculation of her candidacy as a potential vice-presidential selection.[228] During aFox & Friends interview on March 6, she was directly asked about serving as Trump's vice president. She responded, "I would be honored to serve our country in that way and be in a position to help President Trump."[229] In March 2024, Trump cited her as one of his potential choices for his running mate.[230]
In August 2022, Gabbard began serving as the fill-in host forTucker Carlson Tonight, and she continued to be a frequent guest host of the show until its cancellation in 2023.[236] In November 2022, after years of being a frequent guest on several of their programs, she signed a deal withFox News as a paid contributor. In this role, she worked as a frequent guest and occasional host on shows such asThe Five,Outnumbered,Hannity,Jesse Watters Primetime, andGutfeld!.[237]
Republican senators defended her nomination against Democratic criticisms, with SenatorEric Schmitt arguing that political differences do not equate to disloyalty,[241][242] and Senator Markwayne Mullin rejecting claims that she was compromised by Russia.[241] On January 27, 2025, former intelligence and national security officials expressed support for Gabbard, asserting she would help depoliticize intelligence agencies.[243] Libertarian-leaning GOP senators backed her anti-interventionist stance, and former Trump Deputy National Security AdvisorVictoria Coates emphasized the need for new intelligence leadership given global events.[244][245] FormerCIA Counterterrorism Chief Bernard Hudson praised her integrity and experience.[246]
Gabbard's nomination was met with controversy.[253][254][255] Media coverage was widely critical,[256][257][258] and Democrats raised concerns about her past meeting with Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad and remarks perceived as aligning with Russian narratives.[259][260] Critics, including former CIA DirectorLeon Panetta, questioned her lack of intelligence experience and opposition to U.S. involvement in Ukraine.[261]
The New York Times noted that while Russian media had amplified Gabbard's foreign policy views, there was no evidence of collaboration with Russian intelligence, and she had opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[262] Democratic congressmen, includingDebbie Wasserman Schultz,Jason Crow,Tammy Duckworth, andElizabeth Warren, labeled her a "likely Russian asset."[263][264][265][266][44] Over 100 former national security officials signed a letter opposing her nomination.[267][268][269] Gabbard's spokesperson dismissed these concerns as politically motivated attacks.[270][268]
Confirmation
Tulsi Gabbard during her confirmation hearing before the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Gabbard testified before theSenate Select Committee on Intelligence on January 30, 2025. She pledged to separate her political views from her official duties.[271] "Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience, and the constitution of the United States, accusing me of being Trump's puppet, Putin's puppet, Assad's puppet, a guru's puppet, Modi's puppet, not recognizing the absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters," she said in her opening statement.[272]
She denied knowingEdward Snowden while he worked in Hawaii'sNSA facility nearWahiawā[a][276] and defended her past advocacy for reforming theEspionage Act,[272][277][278] including aHouse resolution she introduced with RepresentativeMatt Gaetz. Senators repeatedly asked Gabbard to label Snowden a traitor, but she declined,[279] citing the term's legal and political implications in a follow-up op-ed.[280] She acknowledged Snowden had broken the law by releasing information that caused harm, though she also highlighted the exposure of illegal surveillance practices.[272] She confirmed she would not, as DNI, advocate for Snowden's pardon or clemency.[281]
SenatorMichael Bennet criticized her stance on Section702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Gabbard clarified her position, defending the necessity of 702 for national security while stressing the need for reforms to protect civil liberties, particularly advocating for warrants in certain U.S. person queries.[272][b] Post-hearing, she committed to collaborate with the committee on reauthorizing and any additional reforms."[282]
Regarding her 2017 Syria trip with former CongressmanDennis Kucinich, she stated that he arranged the meetings and denied knowledge of extremist remarks[283] made byGrand MuftiAhmad Badreddin Hassoun.[284] She clarified that her trip had been cleared by House Ethics and that she informed the Trump administration upon her return.[285] In response to concerns about intelligence disclosures, Gabbard stated she would ensure whistleblowers had proper legal channels, including a direct hotline to the DNI.[280][285] She assured SenatorTodd Young that she would not protect those who disclosed classified intelligence programs improperly.[286][287]
Gabbard's opening statement during her Senate confirmation hearing
SenatorSusan Collins supported her nomination after Gabbard clarified her stance on Snowden and reducing the size of the DNI office.[288] SenatorJames Lankford, initially concerned about surveillance policies, also backed her after her explanations.[289][288] On February 4, 2025, the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced her nomination in a 9–8 party-line vote.[290] SenatorLisa Murkowski announced her support on February 10, 2025 and said that while she had concerns about some of Gabbard's past positions, she appreciated her commitment to oversight and ensuring civil liberties remain protected.[291] The Senate confirmed her nomination on February 12, in a 52–48 vote, with only SenatorMitch McConnell among Republicans voting no.[292]
Gabbard was sworn in as the 8thdirector of national intelligence on February 12, 2025, byAttorney GeneralPam Bondi,[293][294] taking the position responsible for leading 18 U.S. intelligence agencies and assuming the role of president's top intelligence adviser.[295][296] After her swearing-in, Gabbard promised to "focus on ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people" while echoing Trump's claims of politicization of the intelligence community and the need to rebuild trust.[295] With this appointment, she became the first female military combat veteran to serve as DNI and firstPacific Islander American and firstHindu American to hold aCabinet-level position.[297][296]
Immediately after being sworn in, Gabbard made her first international trip as DNI to Germany to attend theMunich Security Conference.[298] In March 2025, Gabbard’s second international trip was to Asia with a focus on the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, Thailand, and India.[298] Before traveling to Asia, Gabbard stopped in Hawaii, which hosts the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command headquarters.[298] In her visit to India, Gabbard attended theRaisina Dialogue, an annual multinational conference of security officials held in New Delhi, and outlined the Trump administration's strategy for global peace and security.[299]
Gabbard with Indian Prime Minister Modi inNew Delhi, March 2025
In March 2025, Gabbard, along with other senior members of the administration, discussed the plans forthe US's attacks in Yemen on aSignalgroup chat that leaked to journalistJeffrey Goldberg.[300] When questioned by Congress, Gabbard admitted sharing the information with Goldberg was a "mistake", but claimed none of the information shared was classified.[301] After the Signal leak, reporters ofDer Spiegel used other leaked data such asWikiLeaks to find personal online accounts of several U.S. security officials including Gabbard.[302] While Der Spiegel reported that some of Gabbard's leaked accounts seemed active recently, Gabbard’s office asserted that she had not used those online accounts for several years.[302]
In May 2025, Gabbard announced the reorientation of the U.S. intelligence towards border security, counterterrorism, and counternarcotics, based upon the current administration’s national security priorities.[303][304] Speaking at the GEOINT 2025 Symposium, Gabbard noted the emphasis on domestic border surveillance, while addressing professionals across the geospatial intelligence sector.[304]Gabbard's office also noted that they were consolidating the intelligence operations by moving the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to the DNI office building while taking more control of the President’s "Daily Brief".[305] Gabbard also fired the two officials at the NIC "because of their opposition to Trump", after the council contradicted the Trump administration's position on Venezuelan gang members.[305][306]
On August 20, Gabbard announced the revocation of the security clearances of 37 current and former U.S. officials.[307][308] Gabbard accused the officials of "politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards", without providing evidence. According toAxios:[308]
[A]mong the intelligence community public servants included in the list are officials who were involved in assessments onRussia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election and others who worked on national security under former PresidentsBiden andObama... Others signed a letter supporting theimpeachment inquiry into President Trump on allegations that he pressuredUkraine, which far-right activistLaura Loomer amplified last month as she noted some still held security clearances.
According toThe Economist, some of the officials were "some of the most senior serving career intelligence officials to be purged under Mr Trump", and the purge marked "a sharp escalation in his war on American spooks."[309] According to lawyerMark Zaid, the administration's publishing of a list of the officials' names may have violated privacy law.[308]
Also on August 20, Gabbard announced a 50% cut in Office of the Director of National Intelligence staff and a $700 million reduction in its annual funding. According to theFederal News Network, Gabbard had already reduced ODNI staff by 25%; theBBC reported it was unclear if the 50% reduction were from a baseline before or after the 25% reduction.[307]
In January 2020, in response to a question from a voter, Gabbard called for legalizing and regulating all drugs, citingPortugal's model for drug decriminalization.[321] In June 2020, Gabbard introduced an amendment to the House version of the2021 NDAA to allow members of Armed Services to use products containingCBD and otherhemp derivatives.[322] It was approved 336 to 71 as a package, although House leaders did not fight for its inclusion in the final bill.[323]
Immigration
Gabbard along with 47 other Democrats expressed support in 2015 for increased border security and voted with Republicans for vetting of Iraqi and Syrian refugees.[324] At the time, she called for halting the visa waiver program after mass numbers of Syrian immigrants entered Germany, until the threat of terrorist attacks was resolved.[325] However, between 2013 and 2021, Gabbard had also expressed support for an easier path to citizenship for immigrants without legal status, increasing skilled immigration, and granting work visas to immigrants.[326] By 2022, she said she would be open to a proposal for a border wall if experts say it is warranted.[327]
Environment
Gabbard has often supported the causes ofNative Americans and tribal lands, such as her support for theStanding Rock Sioux Tribe against the construction of the controversialDakota Access Pipeline in 2016,[328] wherein she co-signed a letter requesting the Obama administration to address the tribal concerns about the project.[329] Gabbard successfully passed an amendment to the2019 National Defense Authorization Act that would require theDepartment of Energy to reexamine the safety of theRunit Dome, a leakingCold War era nuclear waste site in theMarshall Islands.[330] She later called for "fresh eyes" to ensure a more independent assessment of the waste site's safety.[330]
Gabbard has spoken in favor of aGreen New Deal but expressed concerns about vagueness in some proposed versions of the legislation[331] and its inclusion ofnuclear energy.[332] She advocated her own "Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act" ("OFF Act") as legislation to transition the United States torenewable energy.[333][334]
Healthcare
Gabbard supported a national healthcare insurance program to cover uninsured, as well as under-insured people,[335] and allowed supplemental but not duplicative private insurance.[334] She has since advocated for atwo-tieruniversal health care plan that she calls "Single Payer Plus", loosely modeled afterAustralia's system and allowing for both supplementary and duplicative private insurance.[336][337]
Gabbard pushed to reinstate Medicaid eligibility for people from the Marshall Islands,Micronesia andPalau working and living in the United States.[330] She has called for addressing the national nursing shortage.[338]
Gabbard voted "present" when theHouse of Representatives voted to impeach PresidentTrump in December 2019. In two video messages[346][347] and a press release, she citedThe Federalist Papers essay No. 65,[348] and described her vote as a protest against "a politicalzero-sum game".[349][350] Gabbard introduced H. Res. 766,[351][352] which wouldcensureTrump for several of his foreign policy decisions and "send a strong message to this president and future presidents that their abuses of power will not go unchecked, while leaving the question of removing Trump from office to the voters to decide".[353] A week later, Gabbard said she had serious concerns that the impeachment would increase the likelihood that her party would losethe presidential election and itsmajority in theHouse of Representatives.[354]
LGBTQ rights
Gabbard's views on LGBTQ rights have changed over the years, as evidenced by her 2013 signing of an amicus brief supporting gay marriage, while in her early years she was associated with her father's campaign opposing gay marriage.[355] In 1998, when she was 17 years old, Gabbard supported her father's successful campaign to amend theConstitution of Hawaii to give lawmakers the power to "reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples".[28][356] She also favored theFederal Marriage Amendment that would prevent overriding state law with regard to same-sex marriage.[357]
In 2012, Gabbard apologized for her "anti-gay advocacy"[358] and said she would "fight for the repeal" of theDefense of Marriage Act (DOMA).[359] In June 2013, she was an initial cosponsor of the legislation to repeal DOMA.[360] Gabbard was a member of the HouseLGBT Equality Caucus.[361] She received ratings of 92%, 88%, 100%, and 84% for her four congressional terms for pro-LGBT legislation from theHuman Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for LGBT rights.[362] After launching her presidential campaign in 2019, Gabbard apologized for her past anti-gay views[358] and said that her views had been changed by her experience in the military "withLGBTQ service members, both here at home and while deployed".[363][364] After criticism from Democrats over her past anti-gay remarks, she was defended by conservative punditTucker Carlson, journalistGlenn Greenwald, and openly gay representativeSean Patrick Maloney.[365][366]
In 2020, Gabbard and Republican U.S. representativeMarkwayne Mullin introduced a bill titled the "Protect Women's Sports Act" that would seek to defineTitle IX protections on the basis of an individual'sbiological sex.[c] After introducing the bill, Gabbard was condemned by activists and LGBTQ organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, which said: "Gabbard has lost all credibility as an ally."[370]
In 2022, Gabbard endorsed theFlorida Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits public schoolsin Florida from having "classroom discussion" or giving "classroom instruction" aboutsexual orientation orgender identity fromkindergarten throughthird grade or in any manner deemed to be against state standards in all grades. She said the bill "bans government and government schools from indoctrinatingwoke sexual values in our schools to a captive audience". She also suggested that the bill should apply to all grades.[371]
In her foreign policy positions, Gabbard has taken a strong stand against Islamist militancy in theMiddle East and endorsed tough actions againstAl Qaeda and the Islamic State.[372] Gabbard has been a strong supporter of the US military offensive to defeatISIS.[373] In 2016, Gabbard described herself as ahawk "when it comes to thewar against terrorists", but adove "when it comes to counterproductive wars of regime change".[373] Gabbard has also called for reducing militaryinterventionism by the United States.[374] She criticizes theneocon war machine for U.S. involvement in "wasteful regime change wars" that do not make America any safer.[375][376]
Gabbard revised her position onIran's nuclear weapon program after facing criticism from President Trump over her March 2025 assertion, which suggested that Iran was not close to building a nuclear weapon.[377][378] In March 2025, Gabbard testified before Congress that theUS intelligence community "continues to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon",[379] though she raised concerns that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was "unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons".[377] In June 2025, Gabbard clarified her position on Iran's nuclear weapons stating that she agrees with President Trump that Iran could build a nuclear weapon in weeks, and blamed the media for taking her March testimony "out of context".[378][380] Gabbard posted that "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months.”[381]
Gabbard also supported the Trump administration’s claim of significant damage to Iran's nuclear sites in June 2025 US strikes, and countered media reports of limited damage, which were based on a preliminary defence intelligence assessment.[382][383] Gabbard said that “New intelligence confirms what President Trump has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed.”[382] Gabbard further said that "If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do."[383]
She has called pro-Palestine protesters in the U.S. "puppets of a radical Islamist organization". Gabbard is opposed to a ceasefire in Gaza. In an interview uploaded to YouTube in February, she called Hamas a "threat that needs to be defeated militarily and ideologically". When asked what she thought about the U.S. supporting a U.N. resolution that seeks a ceasefire in Gaza, Gabbard said it needs to be approached strategically. "We have to be realists about the threat that continues to exist for the people of Israel. So as long as Hamas is in power, the people of Israel will not be secure and cannot live in peace."[386]
During her time in U.S. Congress, Gabbard took strong stances in opposition to Islamist political movements and organizations in the Middle East.[387] In some of her appearances onFox News between 2013 and 2017, she faulted President Obama over his refusal to refer to theIslamic State's beliefs and terrorism as "Islamic extremism" or "radical Islam".[388][389] In a 2015 interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Gabbard criticized theObama administration for "refusing" to say that the "real enemy" of the United States is Islamic extremists.[390] Gabbard expressed reservations about the U.S. involvement in Syrian civil war, and said that "We must end our war to overthrow the Syrian government and focus our attention on defeating al-Qaeda and ISIS".[391]
In 2015, Gabbard met with Egyptian dictator'Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi inCairo.[392][387] After the meeting, she issued a statement expressing her commendation of Sisi as a ruler who showed "great courage and leadership" in his regime's war against "Islamist ideology". Her close engagement with Sisi, an Arab autocrat responsible for the killing of more than 800 people in theRabaa massacre, was met with widespread criticism.[387][392] Journalist Evan Hill summarized Gabbard's foreign policy as rooted in "authoritarianism cloaked ascounter-terrorism,nationalism cloaked as anti-interventionism", and an open espousal ofIslamophobia.[392]
The visit came after Gabbard had introduced legislation that would, in her words, "end our country's illegal war to overthrow the Syrian government."[400] The visit was the first by a U.S. lawmaker since Nancy Pelosi in 2007,[401] and made under a travel warning issued by theUnited States Department of State.[400] As required byHouse rules, theHouse Ethics Committee approved the trip.[402] (A State Department official said that, as the trip was private, the department was not involved.[400]) The trip was privately funded by a Cleveland-based Arab American group sympathetic to Assad,[403] but after facing controversy over the trips funding, Gabbard decided to personally reimburse the cost of the trip.[404] As Gabbard explained to CNN'sJake Tapper, "When the opportunity arose to meet with [Assad], I did so because I felt it's important that if we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then we've got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there's a possibility that we could achieve peace. And that's exactly what we've talked about." Regarding the rebel groups she said: "[T]he strongest fighting force on the ground in Syria is al-Nusra or Al Qaeda and ISIS."[405][406]
After her meeting with Syrian religious leaders, Gabbard said that they called for "an end to foreign support of terrorists who are trying to rid Syria of its secular, pluralistic, free society,"[407] however Assad's regime was often ranked in the bottom on international freedom rankings.[403] Gabbard's visit to Assad was generally criticized by both sides of the political spectrum for giving Assad credibility despite the civilian deaths under his regime.[408] A Ron Paul Institute article thanked Gabbard for "seeing through the double-bind foreign policy trap of our bipartisan war policy".[409]
Opposition to U.S. military intervention in Syria
After a 2017 visit to Syria, Gabbard wrote, "There is no difference between "moderate" rebels and al-Qaeda (al-Nusra) or ISIS—they are all the same. This is a war between terrorists under the command of groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda and the Syrian government."[410] In 2018, Gabbard characterized the U.S. as waging a regime change war in Syria since 2011.[411]
In a February 2019 interview withMSNBC a month after the start of her presidential campaign, she said, "Assad is not the enemy of the United States because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the United States"[412][413][414][415][416] In a subsequent interview on CNN, she said "There are brutal dictators in the world. Assad of Syria is one of them. That does not mean the United States should be wagingregime-change wars around the world."[417]
In August 2019, she said that Assad is "a brutal dictator. Just likeSaddam Hussein. Just likeGadhafi in Libya. The reason that I'm so outspoken on this issue of ending these wasteful regime-change wars is because I have seen firsthand this high human cost of war and the impact that it has on my fellow brothers and sisters in uniform."[418]
Skepticism on chemical weapons
In April 2017, after theKhan Shaykhun chemical attack, Gabbard was interviewed byWolf Blitzer on CNN. She said that "What matters is the evidence and facts," stating she would denounce Assad as a war criminal if found responsible by an independent investigation, but expressed skepticism: "So whether the President says that they have the evidence, the fact remains that they have not brought that evidence before Congress," and that the U.S. military strike "flew directly in the face" of the U.N.'s action "to launch an independent investigation". She drew parallels to the Iraq War, warning against repeating "a counterproductive regime war" without clear evidence and congressional consent.[419] In a statement she said "A successful prosecution of Assad (at the International Criminal Court) will require collection of evidence from the scene of the incident, and I support the United Nation's efforts in this regard. Without such evidence, a successful prosecution is impossible".[420]
CNN headlined their report on the interview: "Rep. Tulsi Gabbard 'skeptical' that Assad regime behind gas attack".[421][422][57] Other outlets similarly reported Gabbard's "skepticism".[4][423] Similar reporting reappeared in the run-up to and during her presidential campaign[424][425][426][427][428][429] and, again, after her being nominated for DNI[430][431][432] Politico in February 2019[416] and theBBC in November 2024 reported that she had called for evidence to be presented to Congress.[433]
On March 10, 2019, in a CNN Townhall, in response to Dana Bash asking "Do you remain skeptical as you were in 2017 that Bashir al Assad used chemical warfare against Syrian civilians?", Gabbard said, "I want to correct that... Chemical weapons have been used in Syria, both by the Syrian government as well as different terrorist groups".[434] She further clarified that her initial skepticism was specifically around incidents in 2017, which were used as an excuse to launch a U.S. military attack in Syria.[434]
In August 2019, theTulsi 2020 presidential campaign published "Reports on Chemical Attacks in Syria", a short compilation of various analyses and reports (mostly by scientistTheodore Postol) on two attacks.[435] The document said that there "is evidence" that both sides have used chemical weapons in Syria, but that Gabbard "remained skeptical" of theKhan Shaykhun chemical attack, and theDouma chemical attack, with evidence they may have been staged by rebels and relaying a concern about an over-reliance on social media posts and unverified sources to support military actions.[435] According to investigative journalism groupBellingcat, Gabbard's document presented a number of factual errors and misleading statements.[436]
Russian invasion of Ukraine
In 2019, Gabbard affirmed onMSNBC'sMorning Joe that she views Putin as a U.S. adversary.[416][415] On February 11, 2022, during the build-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she suggested "President Biden could end this crisis and prevent a war with Russia by... guaranteeing... Ukraine will not become a member of NATO" and that he should do this since it is highly unlikely Ukraine will ever become a member. She expressed skepticism about the motives behind not resolving the issue, blaming "warmongers on both sides in Washington" and suggesting the U.S. might want Russia to invade in order to impose "draconian sanctions" and cement a new Cold War. She criticized this as benefiting "the Military-Industrial Complex that controls so many of our politicians" at the expense of American, Ukrainian, and Russian citizens.[437] On February 13, Gabbard said "It is not in our national security interests for Ukraine to become a member of NATO anyway, so why not give Russia that assurance?"[438][439]
On February 24, the day Russia invadedUkraine, Gabbard repeated her point that "this war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia's legitimate security concerns".[440]
After the invasion, on February 27, Gabbard advocated for a peaceful resolution through neutrality, "It's time to put geopolitics aside and embrace the spirit of aloha, respect and love, for the Ukrainian people by coming to an agreement that Ukraine will be a neutral country... [T]here would be no Russian or NATO troops on each other's non-Baltic borders. This would allow the Ukrainian people to live in peace."[441] On April 4, 2022, Gabbard tweeted, "President Putin, not only is your brutal attack on Ukraine reprehensible, it has been a huge geopolitical error which has already cost Russia dearly... [I]t is the best interest for the Russian people and the people of Ukraine that you pull your forces out now."[442]
Some lawmakers have accused Gabbard of taking foreign policy positions they saw as sympathetic to Russia,[443][264] and these positions have often resulted in praise from Russian media.[444][445] However, in 2024 theNew York Times noted that no evidence has emerged for a connection between Gabbard to any Russian agencies, although her advocacy for improving US diplomatic ties has made her a popular voice in Russian state media.[262]
Controversy about US biological research in Ukraine
On March 9, 2022,Tucker Carlson, after airing a video of the State Department'sVictoria Nuland saying "[W]e are now quite concerned Russian troops... may be seeking to gain control of [Ukraine's biological research facilities], so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces",[446] asked Gabbard "How concerned are you that... there are unsecured bio agents, dangerous bio agents in Ukraine?" Gabbard responded: "I'm extremely concerned... The seriousness of this situation really can't be overstated... We have these pathogens in the midst of a war zone [in] between 20 and 30 labs in Ukraine. This is a global crisis."[447]
On March 13. Gabbard reiterated the urgency, noting that "According to the U.S. government, these biolabs are conducting research on dangerous pathogens". She declared "If they are inadvertently or purposely breached or compromised, they will quickly spread… Instead of trying to cover this up, the Biden-Harris Administration needs to work with Russia, Ukraine, NATO, the UN to immediately implement a ceasefire… in the vicinity of these labs until they're secured and these pathogens are destroyed."[448][264]
Later in the day,Forbes reported "Tulsi Gabbard shared false information Sunday about U.S. involvement in Ukraine biological laboratories... [T]here's no evidence of the U.S. supporting biological labs in Ukraine and the U.S. has consistently denied doing so."[449] Shortly thereafter,Mitt Romney tweeted "Tulsi Gabbard is parroting falseRussian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives."[450][451]Rep. Adam Kinzinger accused Gabbard of spreading "actual Russian propaganda. Traitorous."[452] In response to Carlson asking what her response would be to Romney, Gabbard said:
This is about facts... They're accusing me of saying that somehow there are bioweapons labs in Ukraine. I've said no such thing at any point. I have said that there are biolabs in Ukraine that have received U.S. support that contained dangerous pathogens; that if those labs are breached,... this is a dangerous crisis that needs to be addressed immediately... The second thing they're saying is they deny... these biolabs are even there,... when... officials from our own government—Department of State, Department of Defense, and so on—are saying these biolabs in Ukraine have dangerous pathogens and we're very concerned that they may be breached.[453]
That same day, Gabbard tweeted to Romney, asking him to "provide evidence that what I said is untrue and treasonous.... Evidence of the existence of such biolabs, their vulnerability, and thus the need to take immediate action to secure them is beyond dispute",[454][455] citing Senate testimony by Victoria Nuland,[456] a Pentagon Fact sheet,[457]CBSFace the Nation,[458] a CNN fact-check,[459] and theU.S. Embassy in Kyiv, which acknowledged there are U.S. funded labs in Ukraine working with pathogens.[460] (Bioweapons being produced in Ukraine has been debunked asdisinformation by multiple media outlets, scientific groups, and international bodies.[464])
On March 14,Whoopi Goldberg onThe View accused Gabbard of spreading "false Russian propaganda".[465] That same day,Newsweek said that "Gabbard had asserted, accurately, that the U.S. funds bio labs in Ukraine, not bio weapons labs", but that a number of people had criticized Gabbard for, in their view, appearing to echo falsehoods being peddled by Russia. Newsweek also noted her appearance on Carlson's show had been shown on Russian media.[466]
That evening, Gabbard tweeted she was not convinced there are biological weapons ("bioweapons") in Ukraine, but she was concerned about existence of biological labs in a warzone, noting she had said two days prior that the "biolabs in Ukraine... if breached would release & spread deadly pathogens to US/world". She also noted that "'[b]iolabs', 'bioweapons labs', and 'bioweapons' are 3 very different things. But because these phrases are so similar, there is sometimes miscommunication and misunderstanding when discussing them," and so used the tweet to clarify the distinctions among the terms.[467]
On March 15, Newsweek reported that Gabbard had "clarified her comments about biolabs"; Newsweek also misquoted her as having said, in her March 9 Tucker Carlson Show appearance, that she was "'deeply concerned' over claims about biological weapons in Ukraine",[468] whereas what she had told Carlson was that she was "extremely concerned" about "dangerous bio agents".[447] Philip Bump ofThe Washington Post questioned Gabbard's claim that the U.S. was "trying to cover this up," asking, "Cover what up? The agreement that’s been in place for years focused on the labs that have been public for just as long?" while accusing her of "generating attention and engagement" by "amplifying this negative and misleading assertion about the U.S. government."[469]
On August 30, 2024,Dana Milbank wrote in a Washington Post op-ed: "Gabbard endorsed Russian propaganda in falsely claiming the United States was funding biological laboratories in Ukraine that could spread dangerous pathogens."[470]
After Trump nominated Gabbard for DNI on November 13, 2024, several news organizations reported that, in 2022, Gabbard had accused the US of running bioweapons laboratories in Ukraine;[471][472][473][474] several others said she had clarified or "walked back" her remarks.[475][476][477][478] AP reported Gabbard had "endorsed... [Moscow's claim that] Ukraine was using the labs to create deadly bioweapons."[479] ABC reported Gabbard had "expressed concerns that Ukraine was in possession of biological weapons"[264] and that she had "posted a video... about U.S.-funded biolabs [that] 'could easily be compromised'–a debunked theory".[480] The Washington Post said Gabbard had "come under scrutiny for propagating [the false claim of] alleged presence of 25 or more U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine with the potential to spread deadly pathogens".[63] Two days prior to Gabbard's hearing before the SSIC,U.S. News & World Report said Gabbard "initially endorsed" the Russian theory that "U.S.-funded laboratories... were working on deadly viruses that could be used as bioweapons".[481] The day prior to the hearing, AP said Gabbard had "echo[ed] similar Russian conspiracy theories"[482] and the Independent said she "appeared to fall for... conspiracy theories promoted by Russia" and "later walked back those remarks".[483]
On February 11, 2025, during Senate consideration of the nomination of Gabbard for DNI, Senator Jack Reed said: "As ... Mitt Romney tweeted [on March 13, 2022], she made... bogus claims [about a US funded covert biological weapons program in Ukraine]; Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives."[484]
East Asia
During her 2020 presidential campaign, Gabbard criticized President Donald Trump's confrontational attitude towards China, instead proposing a cooperative relationship to confront global challenges such as climate change. She opposedTrump's trade war with China, calling his approach "extremely volatile" and having "ravaging and devastating effects" on both manufacturers and farmers, while expressing concern the trade war could eventually lead to a "hot war" with China. She also stated her belief that the trade war has made it more difficult to secure Chinese support over a nuclear deal with North Korea; she said America should work with China on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.[485]
In December 2023, Gabbard said that "As we remember Japan's aggression in the Pacific, we need to ask ourselves this question: is the remilitarization of Japan, which is presently underway, truly a good idea? We need to be careful that shortsighted, self-serving leaders do not end up bringing us again face-to-face with a remilitarized Japan".[486][487]
Azerbaijan and Armenia
Gabbard has often expressed her support for the ethnicArmenian population[488] in the conflict withAzerbaijan.[489] In 2017, she was part of a team of U.S. lawmakers that visited Armenia and the then-disputed breakaway region ofNagorno-Karabakh, which was later reclaimed by Azerbaijan; she was thus blacklisted by Azerbaijan.[490] Later, she accused Turkey of encouraging and inciting2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, and co-signed a letter to Secretary of StateMike Pompeo expressing concern over Azerbaijan's renewed aggression against Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and possible conflict with Armenia.[489] Gabbard stated that the United States must urge Azerbaijan to immediately end their attacks, and Turkey to cease its involvement both directly and indirectly.[491]
In 2019, Gabbard was a co-sponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, along with several other U.S. senators and U.S. representatives, to lock in official U.S. recognition and permanent remembrance of theArmenian genocide.[492] While talking about the 1915 mass killings, Gabbard said, "theOttoman Empire was attempting to cleanse itself of the Armenian and Christian populations, and the US became home to many survivors".[488] Eventually, in 2021, despite opposition by Turkey, PresidentJoe Biden recognized the Ottoman-era mass killings of Armenians as a genocide.[493]
Personal life
Gabbard in 2012, pictured wearing alei, the traditional neckwear common among Hawaiian and otherPolynesian cultures
Gabbard lived in Hawaii for most of her early childhood and has been a lifelong surfer.[494] A yoga enthusiast,[495] she regularly practices morning yoga and meditation.[13][496] She has talked about being a vegetarian,[4][14] although some sources have reported her as being vegan.[494] According to Gabbard, she grew up with Hindu values.[14] She follows theVaishnava tradition of the Hindu faith,[497][14] and values as her spiritual guide theBhagavad Gita.[498] She has said that she is aKarma Yogi (action-oriented Yogi).[499] She took theoath of office in 2013 with her personal copy of theBhagavad Gita.[497]
After moving toWashington, D.C., Gabbard lived across theAnacostia River with her sister, Vrindavan, aUS Marshal.[4] Tulsi has worked on several efforts for military veterans, and also noted being inspired by PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.[500] Among other activities in D.C., Tulsi Gabbard has been participating in the celebration ofDiwali, the Hindu festival of lights, along with members from theHindu American community.[501] In 2016, she supported the campaign by Hindu Americans[502] for aDiwali commemorative stamp in the United States, noting that the Diwali festival honors values such as righteousness "that transcend different religions, and backgrounds."[503]
Gabbard's parents have been associated with theScience of Identity Foundation (SIF), aVaishnava affiliated organization.[504][505][506] When Gabbard's parents moved to Hawaii,[4] they had joined the circle of disciples around the founder of the SIF[507] connected withInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness,[508][505][509] She described the SIF's leader, Chris Butler, as aguide/spiritual leader and "essentially like aVaishnava Hindu pastor" during her early years. Butler has in return likened her to a star pupil.[4][508][510] In 2024, the Trump transition team said that Gabbard has "no affiliation" with the SIF.[511]
Gabbard's mother became Hindu and gaveSanskrit names to all her children.[512][513][514] Gabbard is named afterTulsi, a sacred plant inHinduism. She has three brothers–Jay, Bhakti, and Aryan–and a sister, Vrindavan.[515][5][6] Gabbard has often mentioned that the teachings ofselfless action from theBhagavad Gita[498] motivated her towards social work.[513] Later in 2014, as a Congresswoman, she also presented a copy of theBhagavad Gita toIndian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, on the latter's visit to the United States.[516] Gabbard supported the efforts of Modi for declaration of anInternational Yoga Day by theUnited Nations.[517][496]
At the age of 21, in 2002, Gabbard married Eduardo Tamayo.[518][519] She was deployed toIraq from 2004 to 2005, serving with theNational Guard. They divorced in 2006 and Gabbard later discussed "the stresses war places on military spouses and families."[520]
In 2015, Gabbard and freelance cinematographer and editor Abraham Williams, a Hindu of European and Samoan ancestry and son of her Honolulu office manager, married in a traditionalVedicHindu wedding.[521][522][523] While onMeghan McCain's podcast in 2024, Gabbard mentioned that she and Williams had tried to start a family and had undergone severalin-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, without success.[524]
Gabbard has been a presenter atiHeartRadio Honolulu's virtual festival, Island Music Awards 2020.[525] She often greets others sayingAloha, saying it means "I come to you with respect and with love."[526] Gabbard highlights her lifelong appreciation for the Hawaiian culture and itsAloha spirit, which broadly refers to values such as peace, compassion, and pleasantness.[527][528] Her attorneys said that she intends to remain a Hawaii resident.[529]
On September 30, 2018, Gabbard received the Ho'ola Na Pua Advocacy Award for "her dedication to serving and empoweringhuman trafficking survivors in Hawaii" at their annual Pearl Gala.[534] On October 16, 2018, Gabbard was honored as Hawaii Pacific University's 2018 Paul T. C. Loo Distinguished Alumni.[535] The Second Amendment Institute awarded the Champion's Award to Tulsi Gabbard on June 20, 2024, at Second Amendment Institute’s Annual Champion Ceremony in Washington, DC.[536]
^Edward Snowden was employed by an NSA contractor and had stolen 1.5 million classified documents in 2013. He later leaked some documents about U.S. government surveillance practices. He ended up in Russia after being stranded there when the U.S. revoked his passport while he was in transit to Latin America[273] and has since been granted permanent Russian residency[274] and citizenship.[275]
^Section 702 permits theAttorney General and theDirector of National Intelligence to jointly authorize surveillance of non-US persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States. U.S. citizens may be incidentally surveilled.
^The bill would make it a violation for institutions that receive federal funding to "permit a person whose biological sex at birth is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls". If passed, this bill would effectively ban manytransgender athletes from participating in programs corresponding with their gender identity.[367][368][369]
^Gabbard met with Lebanon's newly-elected President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Grand Mufti Hassoun, Archbishop Denys Antoine Chahda of Syrian Catholic Church of Aleppo, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard, in addition to then-Syrian-president Bashar al-Assad.
^abMendoza, Jim (February 1, 2013)."The Gabbards: Raising Hawaii's next political star (Part 1)".Hawaii News Now.Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. RetrievedJanuary 29, 2016.Carol believes in the Hindu faith. Their children have Hindu names: Bhakti, Jai, Aryan, Tulsi and Vrindavan. Tulsi settled on Hinduism as a teenager
^"Bachelor of Science in Business Administration". Hawaii Pacific University. RetrievedDecember 8, 2019. "The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program at HPU allows students a choice among nine concentrations: ... International Business." "SUCCESS COMES NATURALLY TO HPU BSBA ALUMNI, INCLUDING: ... Tulsi Gabbard, '09, US Congress-woman"
^"Who is Tulsi Gabbard?". WUSA. January 16, 2019.Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. RetrievedDecember 8, 2019. "Education: Hawaii Pacific University (Bachelor's degree in business administration)"
^abc"Tulsi Gabbard Fast Facts". CNN. March 27, 2024. RetrievedOctober 31, 2024.Hawaii Army National Guard, 2003–2020, Major; US Army Reserve, 2020–present, Lieutenant Colonel
^"The trailblazing political and Army career of Tulsi Gabbard".Yahoo News. November 15, 2024. RetrievedNovember 15, 2024.She was assigned to a California-based unit in the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on July 4, 2021
^"FY19 NDAA Floor Action".armedservices.house.gov. May 24, 2018. RetrievedNovember 23, 2024.Gabbard (HI)-D personal protective equipment required by civil defense agencies and civilian communities located near active volcanic activity
Johnson, Marty (October 19, 2019)."Yang defends Gabbard: She 'deserves much more respect'".The Hill. RetrievedDecember 8, 2024.Tulsi Gabbard deserves much more respect and thanks than this. She literally just got back from serving our country abroad.
^"Donald Trump has purged one of the CIA's most senior Russia analysts".The Economist. August 21, 2025. RetrievedAugust 21, 2025.the CIA officer in question, along with two others involved in that 2016 report, Shelby Pierson and Vinh Nguyen, are some of the most senior serving career intelligence officials to be purged under Mr Trump. These steps mark a sharp escalation in his war on American spooks.
^Choi, Matthew."Tulsi Gabbard apologizes for past anti-LGBT rhetoric".Politico. RetrievedJanuary 17, 2019.The lawmaker previously apologized for her comments about LGBT issues in 2012 when she was first elected to Congress.
^abHill, Evan (January 17, 2019)."Tulsi Gabbard's Deceptive Foreign Policy".The Nation.when it comes to the war against terrorists, I'm a hawk. When it comes to counterproductive wars of regime change, I'm a dove.. a staunch supporter of the United States' counter-ISIS campaign
^McCarthy, Bill (February 28, 2015)."Looking back: Tulsi Gabbard's Fox News presence in the Obama years".PolitiFact. RetrievedMarch 3, 2020.Gabbard ramped up her appearances in 2015, going on Fox News several times to blast Obama over his refusal to refer to the Islamic State's beliefs and terrorism as 'Islamic extremism' or 'radical Islam.'
^Parks, Maryalice (January 26, 2017)."Tulsi Gabbard Claims to Have Met With Syrian President Bashar al-Assad". ABC News. RetrievedJanuary 12, 2020.[Gabbard statement, as quoted by ABC:] Originally, I had no intention of meeting with Assad, but when given the opportunity, I felt it was important to take it. I think we should be ready to meet with anyone if there's a chance it can help bring about an end to this war, which is causing the Syrian people so much suffering.
^ab"Reports on Chemical Attacks in Syria". Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. RetrievedDecember 23, 2024.[M]issile strikes [were launched] ... before any investigation had even begun, much less been completed.... I believe it is my duty, as a veteran and member of the House Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Affairs, to make sure ... false intelligence and lies [such as for war in Iraq] are never again used to justify use of American military force.
^@tulsigabbard (March 13, 2022)."… We must take action now to prevent disaster. …" (Tweet). RetrievedDecember 13, 2024 – viaTwitter.[From tweet video] Here are the undeniable facts. There are 25 to 30 US-funded biolabs in Ukraine. According to the U.S. government, these biolabs are conducting research on dangerous pathogens. Ukraine is an active warzone with widespread bombing, artillery and shelling, and these facilities, even in the best of circumstances, could easily be compromised and release these deadly pathogens. Now, like COVID, these pathogens know no borders. If they are inadvertently or purposely breached or compromised, they will quickly spread all throughout Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world causing untold suffering and death. So in order to protect the American people, the people of Europe, the people around the world, these labs need to be shut down immediately and the pathogens they hold need to be destroyed. Instead of trying to cover this up, the Biden-Harris Administration needs to work with Russia, Ukraine, NATO, the UN to immediately implement a ceasefire for all military action in the vicinity of these labs until they're secured and these pathogens are destroyed. …
^"Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland Testifies on Ukraine". C-SPAN. March 7, 2022.Archived from the original on December 21, 2024. RetrievedDecember 27, 2024.Ukraine has biological research facilities, which, in fact, we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of, so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach.
^"Face the Nation". CBS News. March 13, 2022. RetrievedDecember 27, 2024.David Martin said a Pentagon official told him ...: 'The concern is that the Russians will seize one of these biomedical research facilities that Ukraine has where they do research on deadly pathogens ... [that] the US has been providing support for....'
^Kyiv, U. S. Embassy (April 22, 2020)."U.S.-Ukraine Partnership to Reduce Biological Threats". U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. RetrievedDecember 14, 2024.[T]he U.S. Department of Defense's Biological Threat Reduction Program works with the Ukrainian Government to consolidate and secure pathogens and toxins of security concern in Ukrainian government facilities....
^Nichols, Tom (November 14, 2024)."Tulsi Gabbard's Nomination Is a National-Security Risk".The Atlantic. RetrievedDecember 10, 2024.[Gabbard] repeated Russian propaganda claims that the U.S. has set up secret bioweapons labs....
^"Who is Tulsi Gabbard?".Pacific Edge Magazine. February 21, 2019. RetrievedAugust 20, 2022.She's been a practicing Hindu since her teenage years, following in the footsteps of her mother, Carol Porter Gabbard, also a practicing Hindu
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