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. 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.
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.
April 12, 1981: Tulsi Gabbard's Birth
On April 12, 1981, Tulsi Gabbard was born in Leloaloa, Maʻopūtasi County, on American Samoa's main island of Tutuila.
1983: Family Moves Back to Hawaii
In 1983, when Gabbard was two years old, her family moved back to Hawaii.
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".
2002: Drops out of Leeward Community College to run for election
In 2002, Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of Leeward Community College, where she had been studying television production, to run for election to the Hawaii state legislature, and she became 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, citing "the stresses war places on military spouses and families" as a reason.
March 2007: Graduates 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, becoming the first woman ever to do so.
2007: Nancy Pelosi's Visit to Syria
In 2007, Nancy Pelosi visited Syria. Tulsi Gabbard's visit to Syria in 2017 was the first visit from a U.S. lawmaker since Pelosi's visit.
2007: Completes Officer Training Program
In 2007, Tulsi Gabbard completed the officer training program at the Alabama Military Academy.
2009: Graduates from Hawaii Pacific University
In 2009, Tulsi Gabbard graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in international business.
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.
2012: Apology for Anti-Gay Advocacy
In 2012, Tulsi Gabbard apologized for her "anti-gay advocacy" and vowed to "fight for the repeal" of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
January 22, 2013: Elected as Vice Chair of the DNC
On January 22, 2013, Gabbard was unanimously elected as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
June 2013: Cosponsor of DOMA Repeal
In June 2013, Tulsi Gabbard was an initial cosponsor of legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
2013: Support for Immigration Reform
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 Obama's Islamic Extremism Policy
During her time in U.S. Congress, Tulsi Gabbard took strong stances in opposition to Islamist political movements and organizations in the Middle East. In some of her appearances on Fox News between 2013 and 2017, she faulted President Obama over his refusal to refer to the Islamic State's beliefs and terrorism as "Islamic extremism" or "radical Islam".
2013: Support for Gay Marriage
In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard signed an amicus brief supporting gay marriage.
2013: Oath of office
In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard took the oath of office using her personal copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
2015: Marriage to Abraham Williams
In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard married freelance cinematographer and editor Abraham Williams in a traditional Vedic Hindu wedding.
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.
2015: Support for Border Security
In 2015, Tulsi Gabbard, along with 47 other Democrats, supported increased border security and voted with Republicans for vetting Iraqi and Syrian refugees. She also called for halting the visa waiver program until the threat of terrorist attacks was resolved.
2015: Criticism of Obama Administration
In a 2015 interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Tulsi Gabbard criticized the Obama administration for "refusing" to say that the "real enemy" of the United States is Islamic extremists. Gabbard expressed reservations about the U.S. involvement in Syrian civil war.
February 28, 2016: Resigned as DNC vice chair to endorse Bernie Sanders
On February 28, 2016, Gabbard resigned as DNC vice chair to endorse Bernie Sanders. She appeared on Meet the Press to discuss her resignation.
2016: Listed as Sanders's running mate for write-in votes
During the 2016 election, Tulsi Gabbard was listed as Bernie Sanders's running mate for write-in votes in California.
2016: Views on Military Intervention
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard described herself as a hawk in the war against terrorists, but a dove when it comes to counterproductive wars of regime change. Gabbard has also called for reducing military interventionism by the United States.
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 tribal concerns.
2016: Opposition to GMO-Labeling Bill
In 2016, Tulsi Gabbard voted against a GMO-labeling bill, stating it was too weak, and supported clear GMO labeling.
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: Criticism of Obama's Islamic Extremism Policy
During her time in U.S. Congress, Tulsi Gabbard took strong stances in opposition to Islamist political movements and organizations in the Middle East. In some of her appearances on Fox News between 2013 and 2017, she faulted President Obama over his refusal to refer to the Islamic State's beliefs and terrorism as "Islamic extremism" or "radical Islam".
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.
2017: Visit to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh
In 2017, Tulsi Gabbard visited Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in her being blacklisted by Azerbaijan.
October 16, 2018: Hawaii Pacific University's 2018 Paul T. C. Loo Distinguished Alumni
On October 16, 2018, Tulsi Gabbard was honored as Hawaii Pacific University's 2018 Paul T. C. Loo Distinguished Alumni.
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: Launched 2020 presidential campaign
In February 2019, Gabbard officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign, becoming the first female combat veteran to run for president.
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.
July 2019: Visited Puerto Rico and joined protests
In July 2019, Gabbard was the only 2020 presidential candidate to visit Puerto Rico and join protests urging Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign.
August 2019: Views on Assad
In August 2019, Tulsi Gabbard said that Assad is a brutal dictator, just like Saddam Hussein and Gadhafi, emphasizing the high human cost of war.
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: Qualified for fourth debate
In October 2019, Gabbard qualified for the fourth Democratic primary debate in Ohio.
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.
October 25, 2019: Gabbard announces she will not seek reelection
On October 25, 2019, Tulsi Gabbard announced that she would not seek reelection in 2020, due to her presidential campaign.
December 2019: Saturday Night Live parodies
Following the December 2019 debates, Saturday Night Live's parodies of these debates portrayed Gabbard as the villain.
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.
2019: Apology for Past Anti-Gay Views
After launching her presidential campaign in 2019, Tulsi Gabbard apologized for her past anti-gay views, citing her experience in the military with LGBTQ service members as a transformative factor. She received support from Tucker Carlson, Glenn Greenwald, and Sean Patrick Maloney.
2019: Views 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: Amendment on Runit Dome Safety
In 2019, Tulsi Gabbard successfully passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that required 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: Gabbard filed a defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton
In January 2020, Gabbard filed a legal defamation lawsuit against Clinton over the 'Russian asset' assertion.
January 2020: Call for Drug Legalization
In January 2020, Tulsi Gabbard advocated for legalizing and regulating all drugs, referencing Portugal's drug decriminalization model.
March 3, 2020: Earned delegates in American Samoa
On March 3, 2020, 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.
March 19, 2020: Dropped out of the 2020 election and endorsed Joe Biden
On March 19, 2020, Gabbard dropped out of the 2020 election and endorsed former vice president Joe Biden.
June 2020: 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; it was approved 336 to 71 as a package.
July 2020: Gabbard meets with Vanessa Guillén's family
In July 2020, Gabbard met with the family of Vanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army soldier who was murdered. Gabbard called for reforms to address military sexual harassment.
August 2020: Gabbard advocates for Jennifer Smith
In August 2020, 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: 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.
November 2020: Jennifer Smith Reinstated
In November 2020, Jennifer Smith, whom Gabbard had supported, was reinstated after being placed on paid leave.
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: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard accused Turkey of inciting the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and urged the United States to demand an end to attacks by Azerbaijan.
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: 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.
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."
November 2021: Celebrated Glenn Youngkin's victory
In November 2021, Gabbard celebrated the victory of Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia Gubernatorial election, viewing it as a rejection of divisive tactics.
2021: Support for Immigration Reform
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: Departure from Congress
In 2021, after her departure from Congress, Gabbard took stances on issues such as abortion, foreign policy, border security and transgender rights that differed significantly from her former Democratic colleagues.
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.
April 4, 2022: Tweet on Russia's Attack on Ukraine
On April 4, 2022, Tulsi Gabbard tweeted to President Putin that his attack on Ukraine was a "huge geopolitical error" and urged him to withdraw his forces.
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.
August 2022: Fill-in host for Tucker Carlson Tonight
In August 2022, Gabbard started serving as the fill-in host for Tucker Carlson Tonight.
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.
November 2022: Signed deal with Fox News
In November 2022, Gabbard signed a deal with Fox News as a paid contributor.
2022: Openness to Border Wall
By 2022, Tulsi Gabbard stated she would be open to a proposal for a border wall if experts deemed it warranted.
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.
2022: Leaves Democratic Party
In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard left the Democratic Party.
2022: Appearance at CPAC
In 2022, Tulsi Gabbard was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), further aligning herself with Republican viewpoints.
November 2023: Attendance at March for Israel
In November 2023, Tulsi Gabbard attended the March for Israel in Washington, D.C.
December 2023: Remilitarization of Japan
In December 2023, Tulsi Gabbard questioned whether the ongoing remilitarization of Japan was a good idea, cautioning against shortsighted leaders potentially leading to a confrontation with a remilitarized Japan.
February 22, 2024: Featured speaker at CPAC
On February 22, 2024, Gabbard was a featured speaker at CPAC, raising speculation about her potential candidacy as a vice-presidential selection.
March 2024: Cited as potential running mate
In March 2024, Donald Trump cited Gabbard as one of his potential choices for his running mate.
August 26, 2024: Gabbard endorsed Trump's re-election bid
On August 26, 2024, Gabbard endorsed Donald Trump's re-election bid during a National Guard Association gathering in Michigan. The next day, she was named as an honorary co-chair of his presidential transition team.
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.
October 22, 2024: Gabbard joined the Republican Party
On October 22, 2024, while speaking at a Trump rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, Gabbard announced she was joining the Republican Party.
November 13, 2024: Nominated as director of national intelligence
On November 13, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gabbard as director of national intelligence (DNI), citing her military experience and leadership.
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: Endorses Donald Trump and Joins Republican Party
In 2024, Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Donald Trump for the presidential election and joined the Republican Party later that year.
2024: IVF procedures
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.
2024: Joins the Republican Party
In 2024, Tulsi Gabbard, formerly a Democrat, joined the Republican Party.
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.
2024: Trump team statement on SIF affiliation
In 2024, the Trump transition team stated that Tulsi Gabbard has "no affiliation" with the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF).
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