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 military officer, currently serving as the Director of National Intelligence since 2025. A Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2021, she formerly represented 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.

Sections (5)

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

April 12, 1981: Tulsi Gabbard's Birth

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

Others born on this day/year

1983: Family moved back to Hawaii

In 1983, when Tulsi was two years old, her family moved back to Hawaii.

1998: Support for Amendment on 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 Got Active in Local Politics

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

2002: Ran for Hawaii State Legislature

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.

2002: Won Election for Hawaii House of Representatives

In 2002, Tulsi Gabbard won the election for the 42nd district of the Hawaii House of Representatives, becoming the youngest legislator ever elected in Hawaii's history.

April 2003: Enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard

In April 2003, while serving in the Hawaii State Legislature, Tulsi Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard.

2003: Joined Hawaii Army National Guard

In 2003, Tulsi Gabbard joined the Hawaii Army National Guard.

July 2004: Deployed to Iraq

In July 2004, Tulsi Gabbard was deployed for a 12-month tour in Iraq, serving as a specialist with the Medical Company, 29th Support Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Hawaii Army National Guard.

August 2004: Announced she would not campaign for reelection

In August 2004, Tulsi Gabbard announced that she would not campaign for a second term in the Hawaii House of Representatives due to her Army National Guard service in Iraq.

2004: Deployed to Iraq

In 2004, Tulsi Gabbard was deployed to Iraq, where she served as a specialist with a medical unit.

2005: Service in Iraq

From 2004 to 2005, Tulsi Gabbard served in Iraq as a specialist with a medical unit and received the Combat Medical Badge.

2005: Completed Tour in Iraq

In 2005, Tulsi Gabbard completed her tour in Iraq at Logistical Support Area Anaconda.

2006: Father became a Hawaii State Senator

In 2006, Tulsi Gabbard's father became a Hawaii State Senator.

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.

2007: Nancy Pelosi's visit to Syria

In 2007, Nancy Pelosi visited Syria.

2007: Completed Officer Training Program

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

2008: Stationed in Kuwait

From 2008 to 2009, Tulsi Gabbard was stationed in Kuwait as an Army Military Police platoon leader.

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.

September 2010: Finished first in Honolulu City Council Primary

In September 2010, Tulsi Gabbard finished first in the 10-candidate nonpartisan open primary for a seat on the Honolulu City Council.

May 2011: Declared candidacy for U.S. House seat

In May 2011, Tulsi Gabbard declared her candidacy for the open U.S. House seat for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district.

2011: U.S. regime change war in Syria

In 2011, the U.S. began waging a regime change war in Syria.

August 16, 2012: Resigned from Honolulu City Council

On August 16, 2012, Tulsi Gabbard resigned from the Honolulu City Council to focus on her congressional campaign.

December 2012: Applied for appointment to the U.S. Senate seat

In December 2012, Tulsi Gabbard applied for appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Daniel Inouye, but was not among the candidates forwarded to the governor.

2012: Apology for Anti-Gay Advocacy

In 2012, Tulsi Gabbard apologized for her "anti-gay advocacy" and said she would "fight for the repeal" of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

2012: Spoke at Democratic National Convention and Elected to Congress

In 2012, Tulsi Gabbard spoke at the Democratic National Convention and was subsequently elected to Congress, becoming the first voting Samoan American and the first Hindu member of Congress.

2012: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2012, Tulsi Gabbard was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, succeeding Mazie Hirono. She became the first Samoan American and Hindu American member of U.S. Congress.

June 2013: Cosponsor of Legislation to Repeal DOMA

In June 2013, Tulsi Gabbard was an initial cosponsor of the legislation to repeal DOMA.

2013: Support for Easier Path to Citizenship

Between 2013 and 2021, Tulsi Gabbard expressed support for an easier path to citizenship for immigrants without legal status, increasing skilled immigration, and granting work visas to immigrants.

2013: Criticism of President Obama on Islamic extremism

In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard began appearing on Fox News and criticized President Obama for his refusal to refer to ISIS beliefs and terrorism as "Islamic extremism" or "radical Islam".

2013: Signing of Amicus Brief Supporting Gay Marriage

In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard signed an amicus brief supporting gay marriage, marking a change from her earlier stance.

2014: Reelected to Congress

In 2014, Tulsi Gabbard was reelected to Congress, defeating Kawika Crowley again.

2015: Criticism of Obama administration on Islamic extremism

In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard criticized the Obama administration for "refusing" to acknowledge Islamic extremists as the "real enemy" of the United States.

2015: Meeting with Egyptian dictator 'Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi

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

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.

2015: Became a Major

In 2015, while serving in Congress, Tulsi Gabbard became a major with the Hawaii Army National Guard.

2016: Views on Islamist militancy and US military intervention

In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard expressed a strong stance against Islamist militancy, supporting tough actions against Al Qaeda and ISIS. She described herself as a hawk on terrorism but a dove on counterproductive regime change wars, advocating for reduced US military interventionism.

2016: Resigned from DNC to endorse Bernie Sanders

In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard resigned from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to endorse Bernie Sanders for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.

2016: Support for Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

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 the tribal concerns about the project.

2016: Vote Against GMO-Labeling Bill

In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard voted against a GMO-labeling bill, stating it was too weak.

January 2017: Fact-finding mission to Syria and Lebanon

In January 2017, Tulsi Gabbard went on a one-week "fact-finding mission" to Syria and Lebanon, meeting with political and religious leaders and Bashar al-Assad.

April 2017: Response to the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack

In April 2017, following the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack, Tulsi Gabbard expressed skepticism about Assad's responsibility without an independent investigation, drawing parallels to the Iraq War and warning against repeating a "counterproductive regime war" without clear evidence.

2017: Views on Syrian rebels and terrorist groups

After a 2017 visit to Syria, Tulsi Gabbard expressed her view that there is no difference between "moderate" rebels and al-Qaeda or ISIS, stating they are all the same.

2017: Opposition to Islamist political movements

By 2017, Tulsi Gabbard took strong stances in opposition to Islamist political movements and organizations in the Middle East during her time in U.S. Congress.

2017: Response to Chemical Warfare Allegations

In 2017, Gabbard said her initial skepticism was specifically around incidents, which were used as an excuse to launch a U.S. military attack in Syria.

2017: Introduction of Stop Arming Terrorists Act

In 2017, Tulsi Gabbard introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act.

2018: Characterization of U.S. actions in Syria

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

February 2019: Reports on Gabbard's Skepticism

In February 2019, media outlets reported that Gabbard had called for evidence to be presented to Congress regarding her skepticism of the Assad regime's involvement in the gas attack.

February 2019: Statements on Assad and U.S. foreign policy

In a February 2019 interview with MSNBC, Tulsi Gabbard stated that "Assad is not the enemy of the United States because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the United States." In a subsequent CNN interview, she acknowledged Assad as a brutal dictator, but argued against U.S. regime-change wars.

March 10, 2019: Clarification on skepticism regarding Assad's use of chemical warfare

On March 10, 2019, Tulsi Gabbard clarified that she believed chemical weapons had been used in Syria by both the Syrian government and terrorist groups, and that her initial skepticism was about specific incidents in 2017 used to justify a U.S. military attack in Syria.

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.

August 2019: Comparison of Assad to other dictators

In August 2019, Tulsi Gabbard described Assad as "a brutal dictator, just like Saddam Hussein and Gadhafi," emphasizing her opposition to wasteful regime-change wars due to their high human cost.

August 2019: Publication of "Reports on Chemical Attacks in Syria"

In August 2019, the Tulsi 2020 presidential campaign published "Reports on Chemical Attacks in Syria", a compilation of analyses and reports on chemical attacks. The document expressed skepticism about the Khan Shaykhun and Douma attacks and concerns about reliance on unverified sources for military actions.

December 2019: Vote on Trump Impeachment

In December 2019, Tulsi Gabbard voted "present" during the House of Representatives vote to impeach President Trump and introduced H. Res. 766, which would censure Trump for his foreign policy decisions.

December 20, 2019: Stop Arming Terrorists Act becomes law

On December 20, 2019, the Stop Arming Terrorists Act that Tulsi Gabbard introduced in 2017 became law, prohibiting the Department of Defense from knowingly providing support to Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups.

2019: Apology for Past Anti-Gay Views

After launching her presidential campaign in 2019, Tulsi Gabbard apologized for her past anti-gay views and said that her views had been changed by her experience in the military.

2019: Views on Putin as a U.S. adversary

In 2019, Tulsi Gabbard affirmed on MSNBC's Morning Joe that she views Putin as a U.S. adversary.

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.

2019: Amendment to NDAA on Runit Dome

In 2019, Tulsi Gabbard successfully passed an amendment to the 2019 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.

January 2020: Call for Drug Legalization

In January 2020, Tulsi Gabbard called for legalizing and regulating all drugs, citing Portugal's model for drug decriminalization.

March 2020: Dropped out of presidential campaign and endorsed Joe Biden

In March 2020, Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of her 2020 presidential campaign and endorsed Joe Biden.

June 2020: Introduction of Amendment to NDAA

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 the family of Vanessa Guillén

In July 2020, Tulsi Gabbard met with the family of Vanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army soldier who was found murdered. Gabbard called for reforms to address military sexual harassment, stating she stood "for Vanessa" and "for her family".

August 2020: Advocating 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.

November 2020: Jennifer Smith's reinstatement

In November 2020, Jennifer Smith was reinstated in her position, after Tulsi Gabbard's advocacy.

2020: Introduction of 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.

2020: Transferred to U.S. Army Reserve

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve.

2020: Criticism of Baghdad International Airport airstrike

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard was critical of the U.S. military's Baghdad International Airport airstrike, which killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, calling it an act of war without congressional authorization.

2020: Shift in Political Positions

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard's political positions, previously liberal on domestic policy, began to align more with Republican positions on social issues. In 2020 she also introduced a bill to ban trans women from female sports.

2020: Tulsi 2020 campaign publishes report on chemical attacks in Syria

In 2020, the Tulsi 2020 presidential campaign published "Reports on Chemical Attacks in Syria", compiling analyses suggesting that both sides used chemical weapons, while expressing skepticism about the Khan Shaykhun and Douma attacks, but Gabbard "remained skeptical" of the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack, and the Douma chemical attack.

November 2021: Celebration of Glenn Youngkin's victory in Virginia

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

2021: Departure from Congress

After her departure from Congress in 2021, Gabbard took more conservative positions on issues such as transgender rights, border security, and foreign policy.

2021: Support for Easier Path to Citizenship

Between 2013 and 2021, Tulsi Gabbard expressed support for an easier path to citizenship for immigrants without legal status, increasing skilled immigration, and granting work visas to immigrants.

2021: Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel

In 2021, Tulsi Gabbard was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

2021: NDAA bill

In 2021, an amendment was introduced to the House version of the 2021 NDAA to allow members of Armed Services to use products containing CBD and other hemp derivatives.

February 11, 2022: Suggestion to prevent war with Russia

On February 11, 2022, during the build-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Tulsi Gabbard suggested President Biden could prevent war by guaranteeing Ukraine would not join NATO, blaming "warmongers" and suggesting the U.S. might want Russia to invade.

April 4, 2022: Tweet regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine

On April 4, 2022, Tulsi Gabbard tweeted a message to President Putin condemning the attack on Ukraine and stating it had been a "huge geopolitical error" for Russia.

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 it did not go far enough in that it only covered grades K through 3, while Gabbard believed it should have continued all the way through twelfth grade.

October 11, 2022: Announcement of departure from the Democratic Party

On October 11, 2022, Tulsi Gabbard announced on Twitter that she was leaving the Democratic Party, accusing its leadership of "cowardly wokeness, anti-white racism, [being] hostile to people of faith and spirituality, and dragging us closer to nuclear war".

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 Florida Parental Rights in Education Act

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

2022: Spoke at CPAC and left the 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).

October 7, 2023: Response to Hamas' attack on Israel

On October 7, 2023, following Hamas' attack on Israel, Tulsi Gabbard strongly supported Israel and condemned Hamas, labeling it an Islamist terrorist organization.

November 2023: Attendance at the March for Israel

In November 2023, Tulsi Gabbard attended the March for Israel at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., showing her support for Israel.

November 2024: Reports on Gabbard's Skepticism

In November 2024, media outlets reported that Gabbard had called for evidence to be presented to Congress regarding her skepticism of the Assad regime's involvement in the gas attack.

2024: Endorsed Donald Trump and joined Republican Party

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

2024: Gabbard discusses IVF attempts

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

February 2025: Confirmed as Director of National Intelligence

In February 2025, Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed by the Senate as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

March 2025: Testimony on Iran's nuclear program

In March 2025, Tulsi Gabbard testified before Congress stating that the US intelligence community assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, but she raised concerns about Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.

June 2025: Clarification on Iran's nuclear weapon stance

In June 2025, Tulsi Gabbard clarified her position on Iran's nuclear weapons, agreeing with President Trump that Iran could build a nuclear weapon in weeks. She blamed the media for misrepresenting her March testimony.

June 2025: Support for Trump administration's claim of damage to Iran's nuclear sites

In June 2025, Tulsi Gabbard supported the Trump administration’s claim of significant damage to Iran's nuclear sites from US strikes, contradicting media reports of limited damage. She stated that Iran's nuclear facilities would likely take years to rebuild if they chose to do so.