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Tulsi Gabbard has undergone a remarkable political transformation. Initially recognized as a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and a candidate in the 2020 presidential race, Gabbard shifted her allegiance to Donald Trump and formally became a member of the Republican Party in 2024. Shortly thereafter, Trump appointed her as the U.S. director of national intelligence, a position for which she received Senate confirmation in February 2025 by a narrow vote of 52-48.
Upon her confirmation, Gabbard expressed her desire to restore faith in the intelligence community, asserting that many Americans perceived it as having been “weaponized” and politicized. Throughout her tenure, she remained a prominent and often contentious figure within Trump’s administration, largely due to her foreign policy perspectives and evolving political identity.
In May 2026, Gabbard made headlines again when she announced her resignation as director of national intelligence, citing her husband Abraham Williams’s cancer diagnosis and the need to prioritize family. This announcement reignited public interest in her political journey, military background, and personal life.
Before joining the Republican Party, Gabbard was elected to Hawaii’s House of Representatives at the young age of 21 and was known for advocating progressive policies such as government-funded healthcare, free college tuition, and stricter gun control measures.
Discover more about her life and career below.
Tulsi Gabbard: Pioneering as the First Hindu and Samoan Congressperson in U.S. History
Originating from Leloaloa, a quaint village on Tutuila Island in American Samoa, Gabbard made history in 2012 by becoming the first Samoan-American elected to Congress, representing Hawaii’s second district for four terms. Raised in a diverse household that embraced both Christianity and Hinduism, she also made history as the first Hindu member of Congress.
Gabbard opted not to run for re-election in 2020, choosing to concentrate on her presidential campaign. Since her departure from Congress, she has launched a podcast entitled The Tulsi Gabbard Show and has been featured on Fox News and comedian Joe Rogan‘s podcast. In February 2022, she spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), further solidifying her connection with conservative circles.
What Led Tulsi Gabbard to Leave the Democratic Party in 2022?
In 2022, Gabbard publicly announced her exit from the Democratic Party through a video message shared on X on October 11, where she detailed her motivations for leaving.
She stated, “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic party that’s under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers, who are driven by cowardly woke-ness, who divide us by racializing every issue and stoking anti-white racism, who actively work to undermine our God-given freedoms that are enshrined in our Constitution, who are hostile to people of faith and spirituality, who demonize the police but protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans, who believe in open borders, who weaponize the national security state to go after their political opponents, and above all, who are dragging us ever closer to nuclear war,” while outlining her broad grievances.
After voicing her concerns, Gabbard urged more Democrats to consider leaving the party. “I believe in a government that’s of the people, by the people, and for the people. Unfortunately, today’s Democratic party does not. Instead, it stands for a government that is of, by, and for the powerful elite. Now, I’m calling on my fellow common sense, independent-minded Democrats to join me in leaving the Democratic party,” she added.
Her Service as a Combat Veteran
In 2004, Gabbard left her position in the Hawaii State House of Representatives to deploy with the Hawaii National Guard in a medical unit to Iraq. She volunteered for a second deployment in 2008, serving as a military police platoon leader and training counterterrorism units, as noted in a profile by The Atlantic. Between her deployments, Gabbard excelled at Officer Candidate School in Alabama, graduating at the top of her class.
Alongside Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, Gabbard is among the first female combat veterans elected to Congress. Remarkably, she is also recognized as the first female combat veteran to run for the presidency.
Her Presidential Bid in 2020
Long before her departure from the Democratic Party, Gabbard was a candidate in the 2020 presidential primary, seeking to challenge Trump. She formally announced her candidacy on January 11, 2019, during an interview with CNN’s Van Jones, stating, “I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within the next week… There are a lot of reasons for me to make this decision. There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I’m concerned about and that I want to help solve.”
Her campaign emphasized critical issues such as healthcare, criminal justice reform, and climate change. “There is one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace,” Gabbard remarked during her announcement on CNN. “I look forward to being able to get into this and to talk about it in depth.”
Controversies Surrounding Allegations of Russian Ties
During her pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination, Russian state media frequently portrayed Gabbard in a favorable light while disparaging other Democratic contenders, including Joe Biden, as per research from the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a Philadelphia think tank.
Gabbard has also drawn criticism for her comments regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly her assertion that the U.S. funded biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine. On the day of the invasion, she stated on social media that the conflict could have been avoided if the U.S. and its allies had acknowledged Russia’s “legitimate security concerns” regarding Ukraine’s NATO aspirations.
These statements have led to accusations of her promoting Russian propaganda. Some congressional Republicans, including former Representative Adam Kinzinger, labeled her remarks as “traitorous” and accused her of echoing “Russian propaganda.” Senator Mitt Romney also condemned her, asserting that she was “parroting fake Russian propaganda.”
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