In a historic move ahead of his upcoming inauguration on January 20, 2025, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has named Tulsi Gabbard as the first Hindu-American Director of National Intelligence. Announcing the appointment on Wednesday, Trump described Gabbard as a “fearless spirit.”
Tulsi Gabbard, 43, began her political career at just 21 as a member of Hawaii’s House of Representatives, becoming the youngest woman elected to the Hawaii State Legislature. She also made history as the first Hindu elected to the U.S. House, where she took her oath on the Bhagavad Gita. Though a practicing Hindu, Gabbard doesn’t have Indian roots; she was born in American Samoa and raised in Hawaii. Her mother, Carol Porter Gabbard, a former member of the Hawai‘i State Board of Education and a practicing Hindu, introduced her to the faith. Her father, Mike Gabbard, initially a Roman Catholic, later adopted Hindu practices as well, raising Tulsi and her siblings with Hindu values and giving them Hindu names.
Gabbard, who follows the Vaishnav sect of Hinduism, explained her faith as “a monotheistic and spiritual practice” rather than a sectarian one. She is married to filmmaker Abraham Williams, and the couple wed in a traditional Vedic ceremony in 2015.
News of Gabbard’s appointment was first shared by Trump associate Roger Stone on social media, claiming it came directly from Trump. If confirmed, Gabbard will oversee 18 intelligence agencies and manage the President’s Daily Brief.
