President-elect Trump announced Wednesday that former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard would serve as his director of national intelligence, a remarkable turnaround for a former Democrat accused of peddling Russian narratives.
“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former Candidate for the Democrat 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!” Trump wrote in a statement.
The Director of National Intelligence oversees an agency that helps coordinate actions among all the U.S. intelligence agencies.
Gabbard could face an uphill battle for confirmation to the role, particularly given criticism over being too aligned with Russian talking points.
A four-term Democratic congresswoman who ran against President Biden in the 2020 primaries, Gabbard left the party in 2022 but did not officially become a Republican until earlier this year. She endorsed Trump in August, citing issues with the Biden administration’s foreign policy.
Already a presidential candidate in 2019, she voted “present” for Trump’s first impeachment, calling it the “culmination of a partisan process.”
But her political shift has accompanied numerous other statements and actions that have promoted numerous accusations that she is peddling disinformation or could even be a Russian asset.
