2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard
British Defence Staff
Posted on December 8, 2016 by Royal Rosamond Press
Rena’s ex-husband was in charge of keeping Britain and the U.S. united. Trump has shattered this unity. Rena had a body like an Angel.
My Bond novel ‘The Gideon Computer’ has come true.
John Presco
One Western intelligence source told Politico that Ms Gabbard’s appointment could impact intelligence-sharing.
“What some allies share may now be shaped by political goals rather than professional intelligence-sharing,” they said.
Hamish de Bretton Gordon, a former commander of Nato’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear battalion, warned the US-UK alliance could be impacted.
British defence figures ‘alarmed’ by Trump’s choice of ‘pro-Moscow’ Tulsi Gabbard
The president-elect’s chosen intelligence chief has repeated Russian propaganda about Ukrainian ‘biolabs’ and backed Russia’s case for warDanielle Sheridan.Roland Oliphant.Joe Barnes
Donald Trump’s choice of Tulsi Gabbard as his intelligence chief is an “alarming” move given her history of support for Russia, British defence figures have said.
On Wednesday, the president-elect nominated Ms Gabbard to be his director of national intelligence, a role overseeing America’s 18 intelligence agencies.
Ms Gabbard, 43, has repeated Russian propaganda over Ukrainian “biolabs”, backed Moscow’s case for war, and met twice with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad after dismissing reports about his use of chemical weapons.
Her appointment has sparked concern over potential reductions in intelligence-sharing across the Five Eyes alliance.
Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of Mi6, said: “This is a maverick appointment. She has no experience of intelligence and security. We have to see how this plays out once she’s in the job.”
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Philip Ingram, a former senior intelligence and security officer in the British Army, said: “I think appointing anyone with zero intelligence experience to be director of national intelligence should be an alarm call.”
One Western intelligence source told Politico that Ms Gabbard’s appointment could impact intelligence-sharing.
“What some allies share may now be shaped by political goals rather than professional intelligence-sharing,” they said.
Hamish de Bretton Gordon, a former commander of Nato’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear battalion, warned the US-UK alliance could be impacted.
“The greatest strength perhaps of the special relationship is the sharing of intelligence,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
But the appointment of Ms Gabbard, “who seems closer to Moscow than London, has the potential to destabilise this unique and critical alliance.”
Ms Gabbard, who ran for president as a Democrat before leaving the party in 2022, endorsed Mr Trump in August and appeared regularly with him on the campaign trail.
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US media reported on Thursday night that British firebrand Trump loyalist Sebastaian Gorka was in the running to be Ms Gabbard’s deputy.
Mr Trump’s cabinet choices cross the spectrum on their approach to US involvement in foreign wars, from neo-conservative hawk Marco Rubio, the new secretary of state, to isolationists in the form of JD Vance and Ms Gabbard.
Even within Mr Trump’s national security team, there are profound differences of approach: Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host chosen as defence secretary, has repeatedly supported arming Ukraine all the way to victory against Vladimir Putin.
On Friday, some Republicans expressed doubts that Mr Trump’s unorthodox cabinet selections would all be confirmed by the senate.
The decision to appoint the role of attorney general to Matt Gaetz, who has been under investigation over allegations he had sex with a 17-year-old girl, has drawn particular scrutiny.
Max Miller, a Republican congressman and former aide to Mr Trump, said Mr Gaetz had “a better shot at having dinner with Queen Elizabeth II than being confirmed by the senate.”
Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat representative for Virginia and former CIA officer, said she was “appalled” at Trump’s choice of Ms Gabbard.
“Not only is she ill-prepared and unqualified, but she traffics in conspiracy theories and cozies up to dictators like Bashar-al Assad and Vladimir Putin.
“As a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am deeply concerned about what this nomination portends for our national security.”
British Government sources stressed that Ms Gabbard was “only a nomination” at this stage. “A process has to happen. It’s very early days.”
They added that if she were to take up the position America would remain the UK’s “closest ally” and there would be no issues with the relationship between the two nations.
Mr De Bretton-Gordon said Ms Gabbard’s appointment could embolden Putin.
“In these really challenging times where margins are fine, any hint that the US’s senior security minister is anything other than completely USA or pro-Nato could give Putin the chink of light that he needs to be bolder in his actions against Ukraine in the knowledge that the new administration might not be so proactive in preventing his warcrimes.”
Justin Crump, a geopolitical risk expert, said: “Five Eyes countries have to trust each other, which will be jeopardised by unpredictable and adversarial leadership in the largest player. Most will just dig in and get on with the urgent job, but I suspect there may be a period of a lot more uncertainty over quite how much should be shared.”
Mr Ingram, the former intelligence officer, said Ms Gabbard’s appointment would not impact intelligence-sharing “at a professional intelligence level”.
“But I suspect agencies will be adapting how they brief their principals and what level of detail is in the briefings.”
Mr Trump may have chosen to select Mr Hegseth and Ms Gabbard to further his aims of cutting back the government.
“I would suggest this is possibly to enable Elon Musk in his efficiency drive to go through two of the most expensive US government departments without someone with the political nouse or experience to protect them,” he said.
Post-congressional activities (2021–2022)
In January 2021, Gabbard launched her own podcast: This is Tulsi Gabbard.[219] She has also made several appearances on Fox News programs since leaving Congress where she criticized figures such as House speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, calling the latter a “domestic terrorist” for what she deemed as his attempt to “undermin[e] our constitution by trying to take away our civil liberties and rights” in the aftermath of the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol.[220]
Nomination for director of national intelligence
In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he had chosen Gabbard to serve as the director of national intelligence in his second term, stating that Gabbard would bring “a fearless spirit” to the intelligence agencies and secure “peace through strength.”[2]
The nomination received mixed reactions, with some expressing support citing her military veteran background [236], while several others considering it controversial, including some intelligence community members and conservative commentators.[237] She received significant criticism for her lack of experience in the area of intelligence, and her controversial foreign positions on Russia, China, Syria, and Iran.[238] A conservative foreign policy editor even called it one of the worst possible choices possible for this position.[239]
Gabbard’s nomination garnered support from segments that were aligned with her view against military interventions, and her calls for reform in intelligence agencies resonated with those advocating for more transparency and accountability.[240][241] Supporters argue that Gabbard’s willingness to challenge the status quo and call out corruption within the intelligence community could bring a new direction that prioritizes national interests and accountability over entrenched bureaucratic interests.[242][243] Additionally, some have praised her for her independent thinking and willingness to stand up to political pressures.[244]
Drug policy and criminal justice reform
Gabbard speaking in support of the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act with Rep. Don Young (R-AK) in 2019
Gabbard has been outspoken against a “broken criminal justice system” that puts “people in prison for smoking marijuana” while allowing pharmaceutical corporations responsible for “opioid-related deaths of thousands to walk away scot-free with their coffers full”.[251] Gabbard has said that as president she would “end the failed war on drugs, legalize marijuana, end cash bail, and ban private prisons“.[252] Bills she has introduced include the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act and the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.[253][254]
In June 2020, 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.[255] It was approved 336 to 71 as a package, although House leaders did not fight for its inclusion in the final bill.[256]
Gabbard lived in Hawaii for most of her early childhood and has been a lifelong surfer.[333] A yoga enthusiast,[334] she regularly practices morning yoga and meditation.[49][335] She has mentioned being a vegetarian,[38][58] though some sources have reported her as a vegan.[333] Her mother, Carol, became a Hindu, and her Catholic Samoan husband later joined her in the faith. According to Gabbard, they raised their family with Hindu values.[58] She follows the Vaishnava tradition of the Hindu faith,[336][58] and values as her spiritual guide the Bhagavad Gita,[337] which includes the principles of Karma[338][339] and Dharma.[339] She has also described herself as a Karma Yogi (action-oriented Yogi).[340] She took the oath of office in 2013 with her personal copy of the Gita.[336]
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