Tulsi Gabbard, a National Guard veteran, ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020 as a Democrat. She left the Democratic Party in 2022.
Tulsi Gabbard campaigned against Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election and served on his transition team.
Ms Gabbard helped Mr Trump prepare for his September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris during the election process, and she also has ties to Mr Trump allies such as Steve Bannon.
Director of National Intelligence - nominally the top position overseeing the 18 agencies in the Intelligence Community (IC) but only in existence since 2005 and has had a different position during each presidential term.
Intelligence officials say the CIA — with its vast collection and analysis capabilities — remains the most powerful agency in the IC. Mr. Trump has tapped former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe to run the agency.
In a statement announcing her selection of Tulsi Gabbard, Mr. Trump shared: “I know Tulsi will bring the same courage that has defined her illustrious career to the Intelligence Community.”
According to CNN, when Ms. Gabbard ran for president of the United States in the 2020 campaign, she introduced herself as an Iraq war veteran with an anti-interventionist foreign policy. Ms. Gabbard and Ms. Harris had some notable exchanges during the 2020 Democratic primary debates, in which Ms. Harris criticized Ms. Gabbard on her foreign policy views.
