Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Tulsi Gabbard

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Tulsi Gabbard.

Tulsi Gabbard is an American politician and military officer currently serving as the Director of National Intelligence since 2025 and holding the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2021. She formerly served as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021. Formerly a Democrat, Gabbard joined the Republican Party in 2024. Prior to her congressional service, she was the youngest state legislator in Hawaii from 2002 to 2004.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

1998: Support for Father's Campaign Against Gay Marriage

In 1998, at the age of 17, Tulsi Gabbard supported her father's successful campaign to amend the Constitution of Hawaii to give lawmakers the power to "reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples".

September 2015: Gabbard Criticizes DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz

In September 2015, Tulsi Gabbard criticized DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's decision to limit the number of debates in the 2016 Democratic primary.

October 2015: Gabbard Reportedly Asked Not to Attend Debate

In October 2015, Tulsi Gabbard was reportedly asked not to attend the October 2015 debate in Las Vegas following her criticism of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

2017: Visit to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh

In 2017, Tulsi Gabbard visited Armenia and the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a U.S. lawmaker delegation, resulting in her being blacklisted by Azerbaijan.

2017: 2017 Syria Trip

In 2017, Tulsi Gabbard's trip to Syria, arranged with former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, involved meetings. She denied knowledge of extremist remarks made by Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun and stated the trip was cleared by House Ethics and informed the Trump administration.

September 2019: Media Coverage of Gabbard's Campaign

In September 2019, various media outlets summarized the coverage of Gabbard's presidential campaign, highlighting scrutiny and alleged Russian ties, with negative coverage during the June–September period.

October 2019: James Carden on Gabbard and Clinton Feud

In October 2019, James Carden of The Nation wrote that "McCarthyism had gone mainstream" in media attacks against Tulsi Gabbard, viewing the Clinton-Gabbard feud as vilification by Clinton and allies.

October 2019: Hillary Clinton Suggests Gabbard is a 'Russian Asset'

In October 2019, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton suggested that Tulsi Gabbard was a 'Russian asset,' which led to widespread criticism and defenses from fellow candidates and President Trump.

December 2019: Saturday Night Live Parodies Gabbard

After the December 2019 debates, Saturday Night Live's parodies of the debates portrayed Tulsi Gabbard as a villain, using menacing music and flashing lights.

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December 2019: Impeachment Vote and Censure Resolution

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 introduced H. Res. 766 to censure Trump for foreign policy decisions, expressing concerns about the impeachment's impact on the presidential election.

January 2020: Gabbard Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Clinton

In January 2020, Tulsi Gabbard filed a legal defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton over the 'Russian asset' assertion, but dropped it five months later.

September 2020: Gabbard Converts Presidential Campaign Committee and Criticizes Netflix's Cuties

In September 2020, Tulsi Gabbard converted her presidential campaign committee, Tulsi Now, into Tulsi Aloha, a leadership PAC. That same month, she also criticized Netflix over the film Cuties, arguing that it contributed to the exploitation of children.

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2020: Gabbard Criticizes Kamala Harris's Record

During the second Democratic primary debate in 2020, Tulsi Gabbard criticized Kamala Harris's record as attorney general of California, accusing her of holding innocent people on death row.

2020: Accusations against Turkey Regarding Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard accused Turkey of encouraging and inciting the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and co-signed a letter expressing concern over Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and potential conflict with Armenia.

2020: Introduction of the "Protect Women's Sports Act"

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard and Republican U.S. representative Markwayne Mullin introduced a bill titled the "Protect Women's Sports Act" that would seek to define Title IX protections on the basis of an individual's biological sex, leading to condemnation from LGBTQ organizations.

March 13, 2022: Accusations of Parroting Russian Propaganda

On March 13, 2022, Mitt Romney tweeted about Tulsi Gabbard, accusing her of making bogus claims about a US funded covert biological weapons program in Ukraine and of parroting false Russian propaganda.

October 11, 2022: Gabbard Leaves Democratic Party

On October 11, 2022, Tulsi Gabbard announced on Twitter that she was leaving the Democratic Party, criticizing its leadership. Shortly thereafter, she endorsed and campaigned for several Donald Trump-supported Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections.

2022: Endorsement of Florida Parental Rights in Education Act

In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which restricts discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in Florida public schools. Gabbard argued that the bill bans the indoctrination of "woke sexual values".

2022: Accusations of spreading misinformation about US bioweapons labs in Ukraine

In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard was accused of spreading misinformation regarding US bioweapons laboratories in Ukraine, with some news outlets stating she endorsed Moscow's claims about the labs creating deadly bioweapons, while others noted she clarified or walked back her remarks.

October 7, 2023: Gabbard Condemns Hamas After Attack on Israel

On October 7, 2023, following Hamas' attack on Israel, Tulsi Gabbard publicly voiced her strong support for Israel, condemning Hamas as an Islamist terrorist organization.

December 2023: Remarks on Japan's Remilitarization

In December 2023, Tulsi Gabbard questioned the remilitarization of Japan, urging caution against shortsighted leaders potentially leading to renewed conflict with a remilitarized Japan.

August 30, 2024: Milbank Op-Ed Criticizes Gabbard's Stance on Ukraine Biological Labs

On August 30, 2024, Dana Milbank published an op-ed in the Washington Post criticizing Tulsi Gabbard for allegedly endorsing Russian propaganda by falsely claiming that the United States was funding biological laboratories in Ukraine that could spread dangerous pathogens.

November 2024: Gabbard's Skepticism on Assad's Actions Reported

In November 2024, the BBC reported that Gabbard had called for evidence to be presented to Congress regarding Assad's use of chemical weapons, highlighting her continued skepticism on the matter.

2024: Denial of Affiliation with Science of Identity Foundation

In 2024, the Trump transition team stated that Tulsi Gabbard has "no affiliation" with the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF).

March 2025: Signal Group Chat Leak

In March 2025, Tulsi Gabbard was involved in a controversy after a Signal group chat discussing plans for US attacks in Yemen leaked to journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. She admitted to sharing information, claiming it was unclassified. Following the leak, news sources used leaked data to find personal accounts of Gabbard and other U.S. security officials.