How Tulsi Gabbard built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Tulsi Gabbard is an American politician and military officer currently serving as the Director of National Intelligence since 2025. A Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2021, she previously served as a U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district (2013-2021). Gabbard's political affiliations have shifted over time, beginning as a Democrat, becoming an Independent in 2022, and later joining the Republican Party in 2024. She was also the youngest state legislator in Hawaii from 2002 to 2004.
In 2002, Tulsi Gabbard became the youngest state legislator in Hawaii.
In 2002, Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of Leeward Community College to run for the Hawaii state legislature, becoming the youngest woman ever elected as a U.S. state representative.
In 2002, Tulsi Gabbard won the general election with 60.7% of the vote, defeating Republican Alfonso Jimenez and 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.
In April 2003, while serving in the Hawaii State Legislature, Tulsi Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard.
In 2003, Tulsi Gabbard joined the Hawaii Army National Guard.
From 2004 to 2005, Tulsi Gabbard was deployed to Iraq, serving with the National Guard.
In 2004, Tulsi Gabbard served as a state legislator in Hawaii.
From 2004 to 2005, Tulsi Gabbard was deployed to Iraq, serving with the National Guard.
In 2005, Tulsi Gabbard completed her tour in Iraq at Logistical Support Area Anaconda. Because of the deployment, she chose not to campaign for reelection to the state legislature.
From 2008 to 2009, Tulsi Gabbard was stationed in Kuwait as an Army Military Police platoon leader.
After returning home from her second deployment to the Middle East in 2009, Tulsi Gabbard ran for a seat on the Honolulu City Council.
In 2009, Tulsi Gabbard was one of the first women to enter a Kuwaiti military facility, as well as the first woman to receive an award of appreciation from the Kuwait National Guard.
In September 2010, Tulsi Gabbard finished first with 26.8% of the vote in the 10-candidate nonpartisan open primary for a seat on the Honolulu City Council.
In May 2011, Tulsi Gabbard declared her candidacy for the open House seat for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district and ultimately won the primary with 55% of the vote.
On August 16, 2012, Tulsi Gabbard resigned from the Honolulu City Council to focus on her congressional campaign.
In December 2012, Tulsi Gabbard applied for appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Daniel Inouye.
In 2012, Tulsi Gabbard spoke at the Democratic National Convention and in the general election, she defeated Republican Kawika Crowley with 80.6% of the vote, becoming the first voting Samoan American and the first Hindu member of Congress.
In 2012, Tulsi Gabbard was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, becoming the first Samoan American and Hindu American member of U.S. Congress.
On January 22, 2013, Tulsi Gabbard was unanimously elected as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
In March 2013, Tulsi Gabbard introduced the Helping Heroes Fly Act to expedite airport security screening for severely wounded veterans. The bill received bipartisan support, passed unanimously in both chambers of Congress, and was signed into law by President Obama.
In June 2013, Tulsi Gabbard was an initial cosponsor of the legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard became the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district.
In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard was vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
In 2014, Tulsi Gabbard was reelected to Congress, defeating Kawika Crowley again with 78.7% of the vote.
In September 2015, Tulsi Gabbard criticized DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's decision to limit the number of debates in the 2016 Democratic primary.
On October 12, 2015, Tulsi Gabbard was promoted from the rank of captain to major at a ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Following her criticism of the DNC, in October 2015, Tulsi Gabbard was reportedly asked not to attend the October 2015 debate in Las Vegas.
In November 2015, Tulsi Gabbard introduced Talia's Law, aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect on military bases.
In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard, along with 47 other Democrats, supported increased border security and voted with Republicans for vetting of Iraqi and Syrian refugees. She also called for halting the visa waiver program until the threat of terrorist attacks was resolved.
In 2015, while also serving in Congress, Tulsi Gabbard became a major with the Hawaii Army National Guard.
In February 2016, Congress passed Talia's Law, which was introduced by Tulsi Gabbard.
On February 28, 2016, Tulsi Gabbard resigned as DNC vice chair to endorse Bernie Sanders for president. She appeared on Meet the Press to discuss her resignation and later launched a petition to eliminate superdelegates in the Democratic nomination process.
In December 2016, Talia's Law, aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect on military bases, was signed into law.
In December 2016, a bill co-sponsored by Tulsi Gabbard and Senator Hirono to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Filipino and Filipino American veterans of World War II was signed into law by President Obama.
During the 2016 election, Tulsi Gabbard was listed as Bernie Sanders's running mate for write-in votes in California. A Minnesota faithless elector cast a vote for Sanders as president and Gabbard as vice president, though this vote was nullified per state law.
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard accused Wasserman Schultz of favoring Hillary Clinton in the primary.
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard described herself as a hawk "when it comes to the war against terrorists" but a dove "when it comes to counterproductive wars of regime change". She has been a strong supporter of the US military offensive to defeat ISIS and calls for reducing military interventionism.
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard resigned from her position as vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee to endorse Bernie Sanders for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard supported the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, co-signing a letter requesting the Obama administration to address tribal concerns.
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard voted against a GMO-labeling bill, stating it was too weak. She supports clear GMO labeling and efforts to reduce antibiotic use in livestock and promote organic farming.
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard was reelected with 81.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Angela Kaaihue.
In 2017, Tulsi Gabbard introduced the Off Fossil Fuels (OFF) Act, which aimed for a transition to 100% clean energy by 2035.
In September 2018, Tulsi Gabbard and Republican Representative Walter Jones co-sponsored the No More Presidential Wars Act to reaffirm Congress's authority over war declarations.
In 2018, Tulsi Gabbard introduced the Securing America's Election Act, requiring all voting districts to use paper ballots to ensure an auditable paper trail.
In 2018, Tulsi Gabbard successfully passed an amendment to improve protective equipment for civil defense agencies near volcanic activity.
In February 2019, Tulsi Gabbard officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign.
In July 2019, Tulsi Gabbard was the only 2020 presidential candidate to visit Puerto Rico and join protests urging Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign.
In September 2019, media coverage of Gabbard's presidential campaign was summarized by Vanity Fair as "the press hates Gabbard even more than it hates Sanders".
Also in October 2019, James Carden of The Nation wrote that "McCarthyism had gone mainstream" as media attacked Tulsi Gabbard.
In October 2019, Hillary Clinton suggested that Tulsi Gabbard was a "Russian asset", leading to defenses from fellow presidential candidates and Trump, and condemnation from CNN's Van Jones.
In October 2019, Tulsi Gabbard qualified for the fourth Democratic primary debate in Ohio.
On October 25, 2019, Tulsi Gabbard announced she would not seek reelection in 2020, citing her presidential campaign.
After the December 2019 debate, Saturday Night Live's parodies of the debates showed Tulsi Gabbard as the villain.
During December 2019, while campaigning for president, Tulsi Gabbard missed 85% of votes in Congress but cast a "present" vote on both articles of impeachment in the first impeachment of Donald Trump.
In December 2019, Tulsi Gabbard voted "present" during the House of Representatives vote to impeach President Trump, citing The Federalist Papers essay No. 65. She also introduced H. Res. 766 to censure Trump for his foreign policy decisions, leaving the question of removing him from office to the voters. She expressed concerns that the impeachment would negatively impact her party's chances in the upcoming elections.
On December 20, 2019, the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, introduced by Tulsi Gabbard in 2017, became law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, prohibiting the Department of Defense from knowingly providing weapons or support to Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups.
In 2019, Tulsi Gabbard expressed concern over farmer bankruptcies and declining farm incomes, particularly due to the China–United States trade war. She supports a moratorium on the construction and expansion of concentrated animal feeding operations.
In 2019, Tulsi Gabbard successfully passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Department of Energy to reexamine the safety of the Runit Dome, a leaking Cold War-era nuclear waste site in the Marshall Islands.
In January 2020, Tulsi Gabbard advocated for legalizing and regulating all drugs, citing Portugal's model for drug decriminalization.
In January 2020, Tulsi Gabbard filed a legal defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton over the 'Russian asset' assertion.
On March 3, 2020, Tulsi Gabbard earned two delegates in American Samoa, making her the second woman of color (after Shirley Chisholm) and the first Asian-American and Pacific-Islander presidential candidate to earn primary delegates.
After suspending her presidential campaign in March 2020, Tulsi Gabbard resumed regular attendance in Congress.
In March 2020, Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of her 2020 presidential campaign and endorsed Joe Biden.
On March 19, 2020, Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of the 2020 election and endorsed former vice president Joe Biden.
In June 2020, Tulsi Gabbard introduced an amendment to the House version of the 2021 NDAA to allow members of Armed Services to use products containing CBD and other hemp derivatives. It was approved 336 to 71 as a package, although House leaders did not fight for its inclusion in the final bill.
In June 2020, Tulsi Gabbard transferred to the 351st Civil Affairs Command, a California-based United States Army Reserve unit assigned to the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command.
In July 2020, Tulsi Gabbard met with the family of Vanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army soldier who was murdered after being reported missing, and called for reforms to address military sexual harassment.
In August 2020, Tulsi Gabbard advocated for Jennifer Smith, a Hawaii Department of Health epidemiologist who reported issues with the state's COVID-19 contact tracing program.
In September 2020, Tulsi Gabbard converted her presidential campaign committee, Tulsi Now, into Tulsi Aloha, a leadership PAC. That same month, she criticized Netflix over the film Cuties, arguing that it contributed to the exploitation of children.
In October 2020, Tulsi Gabbard and Representative Matt Gaetz introduced a bill calling for the U.S. to drop criminal charges against Edward Snowden. She also introduced a similar bill with Representative Thomas Massie advocating for Julian Assange's release from prison in the United Kingdom.
During her 2020 presidential campaign, Tulsi Gabbard criticized President Donald Trump's confrontational attitude towards China, proposing a cooperative relationship. She opposed his trade war with China, expressing concern it could lead to a "hot war" and hinder efforts to secure Chinese support on North Korea's nuclear program.
During the 2020 Democratic primary debates, Tulsi Gabbard was the most frequently Googled candidate after the first, second, and fourth debates.
In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard and Republican U.S. representative Markwayne Mullin introduced the "Protect Women's Sports Act," which sought to define Title IX protections based on biological sex. This led to condemnation from activists and LGBTQ organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign.
In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard ran for president.
In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve.
In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard, while maintaining liberal stances on domestic issues during her presidential primary run, began adopting positions more aligned with the Republican Party on social issues, including abortion, gun control, and transgender rights. She introduced a bill to ban trans women from female sports and supported that women sports should be for biological females.
Shortly after the 2016 election, Tulsi Gabbard was mentioned as a potential 2020 presidential candidate.
In January 2021, Tulsi Gabbard launched her own podcast, called This is Tulsi Gabbard. She also made several appearances on Fox News programs, criticizing figures such as House speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. representative Adam Schiff.
On July 4, 2021, Tulsi Gabbard was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, while she was deployed to the Horn of Africa working as a civil affairs officer in support of a special operations mission. She was then given the command of the 1st Battalion, 354th Regiment, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In November 2021, Tulsi Gabbard celebrated the victory of Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia Gubernatorial election.
After her departure from Congress in 2021, Tulsi Gabbard took more mainstream positions on issues such as transgender rights, border security, and foreign policy.
In 2021, Tulsi Gabbard held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
In 2021, Tulsi Gabbard was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
On March 9, 2022, during an interview with Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard expressed extreme concern about the potential presence of unsecured and dangerous bio agents in 20 to 30 labs located within Ukraine, amidst the ongoing war zone.
In April 2022, Tulsi Gabbard expressed support for Florida's publicly debated Parental Rights Bill, stating it did not go far enough.
In August 2022, Tulsi Gabbard began serving as the fill-in host for Tucker Carlson Tonight.
On October 11, 2022, Tulsi Gabbard announced on Twitter that she was leaving the Democratic Party, citing disagreements with its leadership.
In November 2022, Tulsi Gabbard signed a deal with Fox News as a paid contributor.
By 2022, Tulsi Gabbard expressed openness to a proposal for a border wall if experts deemed it warranted.
In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which restricts classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools. She stated the bill "bans government and government schools from indoctrinating woke sexual values in our schools to a captive audience".
In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard spoke at the conservative CPAC conference and left the Democratic Party.
In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). She has also been a frequent critic of the Biden administration.
In November 2023, Tulsi Gabbard attended the March for Israel at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., showing her support for Israel.
In 2023, Tulsi Gabbard continued to be a frequent guest host of Tucker Carlson Tonight until its cancellation.
On February 22, 2024, Tulsi Gabbard was a featured speaker at CPAC, raising speculation of her candidacy as a potential vice-presidential selection.
In March 2024, Donald Trump cited Tulsi Gabbard as one of his potential choices for his running mate.
On August 26, 2024, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Donald Trump's re-election bid during a National Guard Association gathering in Michigan.
On August 30, 2024, Dana Milbank accused Tulsi Gabbard of endorsing Russian propaganda in a Washington Post op-ed, falsely claiming that the United States was funding biological laboratories in Ukraine that could spread dangerous pathogens.
On October 22, 2024, Tulsi Gabbard announced that she was joining the Republican Party while speaking at a Trump rally in Greensboro, North Carolina.
On November 13, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence (DNI).
In November 2024 the BBC reported that Tulsi Gabbard had called for evidence to be presented to Congress regarding the Assad regime being behind gas attacks.
In 2024, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Donald Trump for the presidential election and joined the Republican Party.
On January 27, 2025, former intelligence and national security officials voiced their support for Tulsi Gabbard's nomination, emphasizing her potential to depoliticize intelligence agencies. Libertarian-leaning GOP senators supported her anti-interventionist stance, and Victoria Coates highlighted the need for new leadership in light of global events. Bernard Hudson praised her integrity and experience.
On January 30, 2025, Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, pledging to separate her political views from her official duties. She refuted accusations of divided loyalties, asserting her allegiance to God, her conscience, and the Constitution.
On February 4, 2025, the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced Tulsi Gabbard's nomination in a 9–8 party-line vote.
On February 10, 2025, Senator Lisa Murkowski announced her support for Tulsi Gabbard's nomination, acknowledging concerns about her past positions but appreciating her commitment to oversight and civil liberties.
On February 12, 2025, Tulsi Gabbard was sworn in as the 8th Director of National Intelligence, becoming the first female military combat veteran, Pacific Islander American, and Hindu American to hold the position. She pledged to focus on the safety and security of the American people and echoed claims of politicization within the intelligence community.
In February 2025, Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed by the Senate as Director of National Intelligence, becoming the highest-ranking Pacific Islander American government official in U.S. history.
In March 2025, Tulsi Gabbard testified before Congress stating that the US intelligence community "continues to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon", while also raising concerns about Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.
In March 2025, Tulsi Gabbard undertook her second international trip as DNI, focusing on the Indo-Pacific region, with visits to Japan, Thailand, and India. Before traveling to Asia, Gabbard stopped in Hawaii, which hosts the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command headquarters. During her visit to India, Gabbard attended the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, outlining the Trump administration's strategy for global peace and security.
In May 2025, Tulsi Gabbard announced the reorientation of U.S. intelligence towards border security, counterterrorism, and counternarcotics, aligning with the Trump administration's national security priorities. Speaking at the GEOINT 2025 Symposium, Gabbard emphasized domestic border surveillance and mentioned consolidation of intelligence operations by moving the National Intelligence Council to the DNI office and taking more control of the President’s "Daily Brief". She also fired two officials at the NIC due to their opposition to Trump's views on Venezuelan gang members.
In June 2025, Tulsi Gabbard clarified her position on Iran's nuclear weapons, stating that she agreed with President Trump that Iran could build a nuclear weapon in weeks, and blamed the media for taking her March testimony "out of context".
In June 2025, Tulsi Gabbard supported the Trump administration’s claim of significant damage to Iran's nuclear sites in US strikes and countered media reports of limited damage, stating that new intelligence confirmed the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities.
In 2025, Tulsi Gabbard started serving as the eighth director of national intelligence (DNI).
In 2017, Tulsi Gabbard introduced the Off Fossil Fuels (OFF) Act, targeting 2035 as the year for transition to 100% clean energy.
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