Early Life and Education of Tulsi Gabbard: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Tulsi Gabbard. A timeline of key moments.

Tulsi Gabbard is an American politician and U.S. military officer who served as the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021 and in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2002 to 2004. Once a member of the Democratic Party, she became an independent before joining the Republican Party in 2024. She became the eighth director of national intelligence (DNI) since 2025.

Sections (5)

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

April 12, 1981: Tulsi Gabbard Born

On April 12, 1981, Tulsi Gabbard was born in Leloaloa, American Samoa.

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1983: Family Moved Back to Hawaii

In 1983, when she was two years old, Tulsi Gabbard's family moved back to Hawaii.

1998: Support for Father's Campaign Against Gay Marriage

In 1998, when she was 17 years old, 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".

2001: Father Elected to Honolulu City Council

Around 2001, Tulsi Gabbard's father got active in local politics and was elected to the Honolulu City Council.

2002: Dropped out of college and elected to Hawaii state legislature

In 2002, at age 21, 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.

2002: Marriage to Eduardo Tamayo

In 2002, at the age of 21, Tulsi Gabbard married Eduardo Tamayo.

2006: Divorce from Eduardo Tamayo

In 2006, Tulsi Gabbard divorced Eduardo Tamayo, and she later discussed "the stresses war places on military spouses and families."

March 2007: Graduated from Accelerated Officer Candidate School

In March 2007, Tulsi Gabbard graduated from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy at the top of her class, the first woman ever to do so.

2007: Completed Officer Training Program

In 2007, Tulsi Gabbard completed the officer training program at the Alabama Military Academy.

2009: Graduated from Hawaii Pacific University

In 2009, Tulsi Gabbard graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in international business.

2013: Signing of Amicus Brief Supporting Gay Marriage

In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard signed an amicus brief supporting gay marriage, demonstrating a change in her views on LGBTQ rights.

2013: Took oath of office with Bhagavad Gita

In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard took the oath of office as a U.S. Representative with her personal copy of the Bhagavad Gita.

2014: Presents Bhagavad Gita to Narendra Modi

In 2014, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard presented a copy of the Bhagavad Gita to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the United States.

2015: Marriage to Abraham Williams

In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard married Abraham Williams, a freelance cinematographer and editor, in a traditional Vedic Hindu wedding.

2015: Support for Increased Border Security

In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard, along with 47 other Democrats, expressed support for increased border security and voted with Republicans for vetting of Iraqi and Syrian refugees.

2016: Listed as Sanders's Running Mate and Faithless Elector Vote

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.

2016: Past Political Event

In 2016, Hillary Clinton was running for president.

2016: Supports Diwali commemorative stamp campaign

In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard supported the campaign by Hindu Americans for a Diwali commemorative stamp in the United States, highlighting the values honored by the Diwali festival.

2016: Vote Against GMO-Labeling Bill

In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard voted against a GMO-labeling bill she said was too weak, while expressing support for clear GMO labeling.

February 2019: Official Launch of 2020 Presidential Campaign

In February 2019, Tulsi Gabbard officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign.

July 2019: Visit to Puerto Rico and Protests

In July 2019, Tulsi Gabbard was the only 2020 presidential candidate to visit Puerto Rico and join protests urging Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign.

September 2019: Media Coverage Criticism

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

October 2019: Hillary Clinton's 'Russian Asset' Claim

In October 2019, Hillary Clinton suggested that Tulsi Gabbard was a "Russian asset," leading to widespread criticism and defense from fellow candidates and others.

October 2019: Media Attacks

In October 2019, James Carden wrote about "McCarthyism" in the media attacks on Tulsi Gabbard.

October 2019: Qualification for the Fourth Presidential Debate

In October 2019, Tulsi Gabbard qualified for the fourth presidential debate in Ohio.

October 25, 2019: Announcement Not to Seek Reelection in 2020

On October 25, 2019, Tulsi Gabbard announced that she would not seek reelection in 2020, citing her presidential campaign.

December 2019: Saturday Night Live Parodies

After both the November and December 2019 debates, Saturday Night Live parodies of the debates showed Tulsi Gabbard as the villain.

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2019: Support for Moratorium on Factory Farms

In 2019, Tulsi Gabbard stated that she supports a moratorium on the construction and expansion of concentrated animal feeding operations, sometimes referred to as factory farms.

January 2020: Defamation Lawsuit Against Hillary 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.

January 2020: Call for Legalizing and Regulating All Drugs

In January 2020, Tulsi Gabbard, in response to a question from a voter, called for legalizing and regulating all drugs, citing Portugal's model for drug decriminalization.

March 3, 2020: Earned Delegates in American Samoa

On March 3, 2020, Tulsi Gabbard earned two delegates in American Samoa, making her the second woman of color and the first Asian-American and Pacific-Islander presidential candidate to earn primary delegates.

March 2020: Resumption of Regular Attendance

In March 2020, after suspending her presidential campaign, Tulsi Gabbard resumed regular attendance in Congress.

March 19, 2020: Dropped Out of 2020 Election and Endorsed Joe Biden

On March 19, 2020, Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of the 2020 election and endorsed former vice president Joe Biden.

June 2020: Introduction of Amendment to Allow CBD Use by Armed Services

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.

July 2020: Meeting with Vanessa Guillén's Family

In July 2020, Tulsi Gabbard met with the family of Vanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army soldier and victim of military sexual harassment. Gabbard called for reforms to address military sexual harassment.

August 2020: Advocacy for Jennifer Smith

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.

September 2020: Conversion of Campaign Committee and Criticism of 'Cuties'

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

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November 2020: Reinstatement of Jennifer Smith

In November 2020, Jennifer Smith, whom Tulsi Gabbard supported, was reinstated after being placed on paid leave for reporting issues with Hawaii's COVID-19 contact tracing program.

2020: Presidential Campaign

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard continued her campaign for president, but later dropped out of the race.

2020: Mentioned as a Potential Presidential Candidate

Shortly after the 2016 election, Tulsi Gabbard was mentioned as a potential 2020 presidential candidate.

2020: Shift to More Conservative Stances

While in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Gabbard's political positions were liberal on domestic policy issues, after 2020, she has taken more positions aligned with the Republican Party positions on social issues, including abortion, gun control, and transgender rights.

January 2021: Launch of Podcast and Fox News Appearances

In January 2021, Tulsi Gabbard launched her own podcast, called This is Tulsi Gabbard. She also made several appearances on Fox News programs.

November 2021: Celebration of Glenn Youngkin's Victory

In November 2021, Tulsi Gabbard celebrated the victory of Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia Gubernatorial election.

2021: Took More Conservative Positions

After her departure from Congress in 2021, Tulsi Gabbard took more conservative positions on various issues.

April 2022: Support for Florida's Parental Rights Bill

In April 2022, Tulsi Gabbard expressed support for Florida's Parental Rights Bill on Hannity, stating that in her opinion it did not go far enough.

October 11, 2022: Departure from the Democratic Party

On October 11, 2022, Tulsi Gabbard announced on Twitter that she was leaving the Democratic Party, criticizing its leadership.

2022: Openness to Border Wall Proposal

By 2022, Tulsi Gabbard said she would be open to a proposal for a border wall if experts say it is warranted.

2022: Endorsement of Republican Candidates

In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed and campaigned for several Donald Trump-supported Republican candidates in the midterm elections.

2022: Left the Democratic Party

In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard left the Democratic Party and became an independent.

2022: Spoke at CPAC and Left Democratic Party

In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard spoke at the conservative CPAC conference and left the Democratic Party.

2022: Speaker at CPAC

In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

February 22, 2024: Speaker at CPAC

On February 22, 2024, Tulsi Gabbard was a featured speaker at CPAC, raising speculation about her potential as a vice-presidential selection.

March 2024: Mentioned as Potential Running Mate

In March 2024, Donald Trump cited Tulsi Gabbard as one of his potential choices for his running mate.

August 26, 2024: Endorsement of Trump's Re-election Bid

On August 26, 2024, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Donald Trump's re-election bid during a National Guard Association gathering in Michigan and was named honorary co-chair of his presidential transition team.

October 22, 2024: Joining the Republican Party

On October 22, 2024, Tulsi Gabbard announced she was joining the Republican Party while speaking at a Trump rally in Greensboro, North Carolina.

2024: Endorsed Donald Trump and Joined Republican Party

In 2024, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Donald Trump for the presidential election and joined the Republican Party later that year.

2024: Joined the Republican Party

In 2024, Tulsi Gabbard joined the Republican Party.

2024: IVF attempts

In 2024, Tulsi Gabbard mentioned on Meghan McCain's podcast that she and Abraham Williams had tried to start a family and had undergone several in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, without success.