Four years ago he ran in the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries and insisted on not abandoning the competition until well into the competition, despite his dismal results. In 2022 he left that formation and declared himself independent. This August, this former congresswoman from Hawaii became the female version of Robert F Kennedy: a lifelong Democrat transformed into an enthusiastic representative of Donald Trump’s campaign. Now, Tulsi Gabbard, 43 years old and opposed to US aid to Ukraine, will be the new director of the US Intelligence services, as announced by the president-elect.
As Director of Intelligence, she will be in charge of 18 different spy departments. It will also have among its tasks the preparation of the daily report of the intelligence services for the president, which is provided every morning to the tenant of the White House. In his first term, Trump avoided reading those texts, which he asked to be summarized in a series of key phrases and graphics. He did hold in-person sessions with representatives of the intelligence community on issues that interested him.
“For two decades, Tulsi fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans. “As a former Democratic candidate for the presidency of the United States, she has support in both parties: she is now a proud Republican!” Trump says in a statement. “I know that Tulsi will bring to our Intelligence community the indomitable spirit that has defined her illustrious career, will be a champion of our constitutional rights, and will ensure peace through strength.”
The appointment, part of a flood of announcements in the last 72 hours to fill vacancies in the next Administration in foreign, defense and national security policy, puts a person with no experience in this field at the head of the intelligence services, opposed to the positions of the United States in Ukraine and Syria and that has on several occasions shown itself close to Russian positions.
The next Director of Intelligence, who will replace Avril Haines in the position, was a member of the National Guard, an auxiliary military body in charge of defending the national territory in case of external attack, in Hawaii, her home state, before launching her political career. As a soldier – she reached the rank of lieutenant colonel – she was deployed in Kuwait and Iraq, where, according to what she said, she aroused her skepticism about the interventionism of the United States in conflicts in other parts of the globe.
He was a Democratic congressman between 2013 and 2021. At that time he clashed with the great foreign policy eminences of both parties for their positions against US interventions in the Middle East. Disagreements with his party on freedom of expression, public health or education led him to abandon his usual training. After leaving, he reinvented himself again as a frequent commentator in conservative media.
After joining Trump’s campaign in August, she has been a constant spokesperson for the Republican candidate in the media. She was one of the people who helped him prepare for the debate against his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in September in Philadelphia. Already before, her name came to be heard as a possible electoral running mate for Donald Trump.
The appointment of the former congresswoman complements that announced on Tuesday of John Ratcliffe, 59, as director of the National Intelligence Agency, the CIA. Ratcliffe, a former congressman from Texas, had already held the position for which Gabbard is nominated during the final months of Donald Trump’s first term.
Gabbard’s selection has also been announced a few hours after the announcement of another big surprise in the future Trump Administration: the position of Secretary of Defense will go to the host of one of the president-elect’s favorite television shows, Peter Hegseth. , from the Fox News network. Like the former congresswoman, and others selected by the former president, Hegseth lacks experience in the position, but he can boast a military career in the National Guard, experience in deployments in American wars abroad and absolute loyalty to the Republican leader.
