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. She served as a U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021 and currently serves as the director of national intelligence (DNI) since 2025 and holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2021. Formerly a Democrat, she switched to the Republican Party in 2024. Notably, she was Hawaii's youngest state legislator from 2002 to 2004.

Sections (5)

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

1915: Armenian Genocide

In 1915, according to Gabbard's statement, the Ottoman Empire attempted to cleanse itself of the Armenian and Christian populations, leading to the U.S. becoming home to many survivors.

1998: Opposition to Gay Marriage

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

2011: U.S. Involvement in Syria

In 2018, Tulsi Gabbard said that U.S. has been waging a regime change war in Syria since 2011.

September 2015: Criticized DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz

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

October 2015: Reportedly asked not to attend debate

Following her criticism, Gabbard was reportedly asked not to attend the October 2015 debate in Las Vegas.

2015: Meeting with Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi

In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard met with Egyptian dictator 'Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo. Following the meeting, she commended Sisi for showing "great courage and leadership" in his regime's war against "Islamist ideology", which drew criticism.

January 2017: Fact-Finding Mission to Syria and Lebanon

In January 2017, Tulsi Gabbard undertook a one-week "fact-finding mission" to Syria and Lebanon. During the trip, she met with various political and religious leaders from both countries and had two unplanned meetings with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The visit was arranged by individuals connected to the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

April 2017: Interview on Khan Shaykhun Chemical Attack

In April 2017, following the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack, Tulsi Gabbard stated in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN that evidence and facts are what matters. She expressed skepticism and called for an independent investigation before denouncing Assad as a war criminal.

2017: Views on Syrian Rebels

Following her visit to Syria in 2017, Tulsi Gabbard stated that there is no difference between "moderate" rebels and al-Qaeda or ISIS, considering them all the same.

2018: U.S. Waging Regime Change War in Syria

In 2018, Tulsi Gabbard characterized the U.S. as waging a regime change war in Syria since 2011.

February 2019: Views on Assad and U.S. Role in Regime Change

In February 2019, a month after launching her presidential campaign, Tulsi Gabbard stated in an interview with MSNBC that "Assad is not the enemy of the United States." She also stated in an interview on CNN that while Assad is a brutal dictator, the U.S. should not be involved in regime-change wars.

February 2019: Reports on Gabbard's Skepticism

In February 2019, during her presidential campaign, news organizations reported that Tulsi Gabbard had called for evidence to be presented to Congress regarding the Assad regime's involvement in a gas attack.

March 10, 2019: CNN Townhall: Chemical Weapons in Syria

On March 10, 2019, during a CNN Townhall, Tulsi Gabbard clarified her stance on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. She stated that chemical weapons had been used by both the Syrian government and various terrorist groups, and her initial skepticism was regarding incidents in 2017 that were used as an excuse for a U.S. military attack.

August 2019: Campaign Publishes Reports on Chemical Attacks in Syria

In August 2019, the Tulsi 2020 presidential campaign published "Reports on Chemical Attacks in Syria", compiling analyses suggesting both sides had used chemical weapons, and expressed skepticism about the Khan Shaykhun and Douma attacks, raising concerns about reliance on unverified sources for military actions.

September 2019: Media coverage of Gabbard's campaign

In September 2019, media coverage of Gabbard's presidential campaign was summarized as highly negative, with claims of unfair maligning and scrutiny.

October 2019: Media Attacks on Gabbard

In October 2019, James Carden from The Nation wrote that "McCarthyism had gone mainstream" as media attacked Gabbard, viewing the Clinton-Gabbard feud as a long campaign of vilification.

October 2019: Hillary Clinton suggested Gabbard was a 'Russian asset'

In October 2019, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton suggested that Gabbard was a "Russian asset". This led to widespread debate and defenses from other candidates.

December 2019: Saturday Night Live parodies

Following the December 2019 debates, Saturday Night Live's parodies of these debates portrayed Gabbard as the villain.

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December 2019: Vote on Trump Impeachment

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 and expressed concerns that impeachment would hurt her party in the upcoming elections.

January 2020: Gabbard filed a defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton

In January 2020, Gabbard filed a legal defamation lawsuit against Clinton over the 'Russian asset' assertion.

September 2020: Gabbard converts campaign committee and criticizes Netflix film

In September 2020, Gabbard converted her presidential campaign committee, Tulsi Now, into Tulsi Aloha, a leadership PAC. Also that month, she criticized Netflix over the film Cuties.

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2020: Most Googled candidate after debates, criticized Kamala Harris

In 2020, Gabbard was the most frequently Googled candidate after several Democratic primary debates. During the second debate, she criticized Kamala Harris's record as attorney general of California.

2020: Introduction of Protect Women's Sports Act

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, leading to condemnation from LGBTQ organizations.

2020: Criticism of U.S. Airstrike in Baghdad

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard criticized the U.S. military's airstrike at Baghdad International Airport that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. She described it as an act of war by then-President Donald Trump and a violation of the U.S. Constitution, arguing that Trump lacked congressional authorization.

2020: Shift in Political Positions

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard, while maintaining liberal positions on domestic policy, started aligning with Republican stances on social issues, including abortion, gun control, and transgender rights. She introduced a bill to ban trans women from female sports, advocating that women's sports should be for biological females.

2020: Tulsi 2020 Presidential Campaign

January 2021: Launched podcast and criticized political figures

In January 2021, Gabbard launched her own podcast, called This is Tulsi Gabbard. She also criticized figures such as Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff, calling the latter a "domestic terrorist."

February 11, 2022: Suggestion to Prevent War with Russia

On February 11, 2022, during the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Tulsi Gabbard suggested President Biden could avert war by guaranteeing Ukraine would not join NATO, criticizing "warmongers" and suggesting the U.S. might want Russia to invade to impose sanctions and revive the Cold War.

March 9, 2022: Concerns About Bio Agents in Ukraine

On March 9, 2022, Tulsi Gabbard appeared on Tucker Carlson's show and expressed extreme concern about unsecured bio agents in Ukraine's biological research facilities amidst the war.

March 13, 2022: Allegations of Parroting Russian Propaganda

On March 13, 2022, Mitt Romney accused Tulsi Gabbard of making bogus claims about a U.S.-funded covert biological weapons program in Ukraine and parroting false Russian propaganda.

April 2022: Expressed support for Florida's Parental Rights Bill

In April 2022, Gabbard expressed support for Florida's Parental Rights Bill, stating that it did not go far enough.

October 11, 2022: Left the Democratic Party

On October 11, 2022, Gabbard announced on Twitter that she was leaving the Democratic Party, citing issues with its leadership.

2022: Accusations Regarding Bioweapons Laboratories in Ukraine

Following Trump's nomination of Gabbard for DNI in November 2024, several news organizations reported that in 2022, Gabbard had accused the U.S. of running bioweapons laboratories in Ukraine, while others said she had clarified or "walked back" her remarks. Some outlets reported she had endorsed Moscow's claim about Ukraine using the labs to create bioweapons.

2022: Endorsement of Florida Parental Rights in Education Act

In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which restricts classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida public schools. She claimed the bill prevents "indoctrinating woke sexual values" and suggested it should apply to all grades.

August 30, 2024: Op-ed on Russian Propaganda

On August 30, 2024, Dana Milbank wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Russian propaganda by falsely claiming the United States was funding biological laboratories in Ukraine that could spread dangerous pathogens.

November 2024: Reports on Gabbard's Skepticism

In November 2024, news organizations reported that Tulsi Gabbard had called for evidence to be presented to Congress regarding the Assad regime's involvement in a gas attack.

2024: Views on Russia

In 2024, the New York Times noted that while Tulsi Gabbard's foreign policy positions have been seen as sympathetic to Russia, with Russian media praising her, no evidence of a connection to Russian agencies has emerged.

February 11, 2025: Allegations of Parroting Russian Propaganda

On February 11, 2025, during Senate consideration of Tulsi Gabbard's nomination for DNI, Senator Jack Reed quoted Mitt Romney's tweet from March 13, 2022, accusing Gabbard of making bogus claims about a U.S.-funded covert biological weapons program in Ukraine and parroting false Russian propaganda.

May 2025: Consolidation of Intelligence Operations

In May 2025, Tulsi Gabbard's office announced the consolidation of intelligence operations, including moving the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to the DNI office building. Gabbard also took more control of the President’s Daily Brief and fired two NIC officials for "politicizing intelligence" and contradicting the Trump administration's position on Venezuelan gang members.