Trump Names Tulsi Gabbard Director of National Intelligence

President-elect Donald Trump named former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard to serve as his director of national intelligence on Wednesday.

Political Context: Gabbard served as a Democratic congresswoman in Hawaii from 2011 to 2021 before switching to be an Independent in 2022. Gabbard has been critical of the Biden Administration in recent years and in 2024 endorsed Trump’s presidential campaign. 

Other Context: Earlier this year, Gabbard learned she was on TSA’s terror watch list and spoke to Matt Taibbi (Center bias) about her experience. She served in the National Guard from 2003 and was deployed in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. Currently, she is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. She has not previously worked in the intelligence community.

Key Quotes: In a statement, Trump said Gabbard would champion “our Constitutional rights” and secure “peace through strength.” Gabbard wrote on X, “Thank you, @realDonaldTrump, for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people. I look forward to getting to work.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets from the left and center were more likely to highlight controversies surrounding Gabbard or the nomination. Such controversies include her criticisms of NATO’s engagement in Ukraine and that she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2019. Axios (Lean Left bias) labeled al-Assad the “Syrian dictator.” NBC News (Lean Left bias) noted that Gabbard would be the first “person of color” to serve in the role. Outlets across the spectrum highlighted Gabbard’s exit from the Democratic Party and evolution into a Trump ally.