Donald Trump on Wednesday announced former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as his incoming Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard, known for her opposition to U.S. support for Ukraine and a past meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was described by the Republican president-elect as someone who would “bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community.”
In response, Gabbard expressed gratitude to Trump “for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people. I look forward to getting to work.”
The former Hawaii congresswoman, who shifted her support to Trump earlier this year, assisted him in preparing for debates against Kamala Harris and had been anticipating a position in his administration as a reward for her endorsement.
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Gabbard is known for her isolationist views on foreign policy and has promoted various conspiracy theories. In 2022, she made unfounded claims about U.S.-sponsored biolabs in Ukraine, echoing a key Russian propaganda narrative used to justify its invasion.
During her 2020 presidential campaign, Gabbard advocated for U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq and Syria. She was also the subject of controversial remarks in 2019 by Hillary Clinton, who suggested that Russia was grooming a Democratic candidate for a third-party run—comments widely interpreted as targeting Gabbard, who denied the accusation. In 2017, Gabbard faced criticism for a meeting with Syria’s Assad amid the country’s ongoing civil war.
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