Hindu-American Tulsi Gabbard's historic nomination as intel chief sparks mixed reactions

Gabbard, Trump's pick for DNI, visited Assad, meets with senators after dictator's fall

PTI

Washington, Updated At : 09:33 AM Dec 10, 2024 IST

Tulsi Gabbard and US President elect Donald Trump. File photo for representation.

Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, has met key Senators at Capitol Hill and supported the Republican leader's view on Syria amid the sudden fall of the country's Assad rule.

Hindu-American Gabbard, 43, who represented Hawaii in the House for eight years as a Democrat, met with Senators on Monday.

"I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days regarding the developments in Syria," Gabbard, 43, told reporters at Capitol Hill where she met top US Senators on her nomination.

Gabbard has faced scepticism from national security experts and lawmakers about her views on the Syrian regime, and she is likely to encounter questions during the confirmation process about her 2017 trip to Syria, where she met with then-President Bashar Assad who was ousted by rebel factions over the weekend, ending his nearly quarter-century rule, the Washington Post reported.

President-elect Trump picked Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party in 2022, to be his director of national intelligence, a position with access to highly classified intelligence who oversees 18 spy agencies.

She met with Republican Sens. Mike Rounds (South Dakota), James Lankford (Oklahoma) and Lindsey Graham (South Carolina).

She also met with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), according to a post on X in which she described Gabbard as a “strong and proven leader.” Ernst told reporters she anticipates meeting with her again.

“Wonderful catching up with Tulsi Gabbard, a strong and proven leader!” Senator Ernst said after the meeting.

“It was great to see you, my friend. Thank you for your support!” Gabbard said.

If confirmed by the US Senate, Gabbard would be the first-ever Hindu American to head the powerful body in charge of US' all intelligence agencies, including the CIA and FBI.

“Good to sit down with Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump's nominee to be the Director of National Intelligence. As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I am looking forward to working with her as she continues to move through the confirmation process. Excellent first meeting,” said Senator Rounds.

“It was great to see you, Senator Rounds. Thank you for your time and the conversation today,” Gabbard said.

In recent days, Gabbard has been praised by several other Senators.

"Congratulations to Tulsi Gabbard on her nomination as Director of National Intelligence. Her military service and dedication to our constitutional rights make her a strong choice for this critical role. Wishing her success in leading our intelligence community," Senator Rand Paul said.

"LTC Tulsi Gabbard, a 20-year veteran of the US Army, is a true patriot. Tulsi has my complete support to be the next Director of National Intelligence. I'm proud to call her my friend," said Senator Markwayne Mullin.

Senator Lindsey Graham said he has known Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for many years, serving in the same Capitol Hill reserve unit.

“While we have differences on foreign policy, I think she's extremely bright and capable. It is a great compliment to Tulsi that President Trump wants her to be his Director of National Intelligence,” he said.

“In this position, she will see up close the dangers we face as a nation from multiple sources. I look forward to working with her to keep America not only great but also safe," Graham said.

“This is a reformer who can come in, who maybe is not a part of the same Washington cocktail party circuit that people in the intel community are used to, but maybe that's exactly what we need right now... I'm a yes on Tulsi Gabbard — absolutely," Senator Eric Schmitt said.

"What Tulsi Gabbard represents is a broad tent that Trump has put in place ... He's bringing Tulsi into his cabinet to achieve a specific purpose, and I look forward to supporting that," said Senator Bill Hagerty.

Gabbard — a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve who saw three deployments — represented Hawaii in Congress for eight years, including as a member of the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs Committees.

She was also co-chair of the Congressional India Caucus.

Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the September 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation's intelligence agencies and act as the president's main intelligence adviser.

Gabbard met with Assad twice during the 2017 trip and was later criticised when she refused to call the brutal leader an enemy of the United States, explaining at the time that he was not one since “Syria does not pose a direct threat to the United States,” the Post reported.

Proud of her Hindu religion, Gabbard is not Indian or of Indian heritage. She was born in 1981 in Leloaloa, American Samoa, the fourth of five children born to a Hindu mother and a Christian (Catholic) father.

In 2018, Gabbard from Hawaii created history by not only becoming the first Hindu ever to be sworn in as a member of the US House of Representatives, but also being the first ever US lawmaker to have taken oath of office on the sacred Bhagavad Gita.

Gabbard's spiritual lineage is the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya. She is a disciple of Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa who is disciple of AC Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa is a co-founder of the World Vaishnava Association, an umbrella organisation of over 30 India-based and world-wide missions adhering to and promoting Vaishnava teachings.

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