Tulsi Gabbard
Born 1981 · Age 44
American politician and military officer; U.S. Representative (2013–2021); 2020 Democratic presidential candidate; left Democrats (2022), became Independent, joined Republicans (2024); nominated and confirmed as Director of National Intelligence in 2025. Longtime Hawaii Army National Guard / U.S. Army Reserve officer.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Leloaloa, American Samoa
Tulsi Gabbard was born in Leloaloa on American Samoa's main island of Tutuila, the fourth of five children to Mike and Carol Gabbard.
Family moved to Hawaii
Gabbard's family moved from American Samoa back to Hawaii, where they had lived in the late 1970s.
Childhood activities and upbringing in Honolulu
Gabbard grew up in Honolulu; as a child she surfed, practiced martial arts and yoga; parents owned a vegetarian restaurant, The Natural Deli in Moiliili.
Adopted Hindu faith (teenage years, approximate)
As a teenager, Gabbard adopted the Hindu faith and learned spiritual principles such as karma from the Bhagavad Gita (year approximate based on 'teenager').
Co-founded Healthy Hawai'i Coalition (approx.)
As a teenager Gabbard co-founded Healthy Hawai'i Coalition, a nonprofit focused on environment and community health (text says 'as a teenager' but no year given; estimate).
Associated with Stand Up For America after 9/11 (approx.)
Worked for Stand Up For America (SUFA), an organization founded by her father in the wake of the September 11 attacks; timing circa early 2000s.
Married Eduardo Tamayo
Gabbard married Eduardo Tamayo (later divorced in 2006).
Elected to Hawaii State House (District 42)
Won Democratic primary and general election for Hawaii House District 42; at 21 became the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii state legislature and at the time the youngest woman elected to a U.S. state legislature.
Enlisted in Hawaii Army National Guard
While serving in the Hawaii State Legislature, Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard and completed basic training between legislative sessions.
Deployed to Iraq (12-month tour)
Volunteered for activation and deployed to Iraq (Medical Company, 29th Support Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team) serving at Logistical Support Area Anaconda; chose not to run for reelection while deployed.
Received Combat Medical Badge
Awarded the Combat Medical Badge for participation in combat operations under enemy fire during Operation Iraqi Freedom III.
Divorce from Eduardo Tamayo finalized
Gabbard and Eduardo Tamayo divorced (married 2002, divorced 2006).
Legislative aide to Senator Daniel Akaka (approx. 2006–2007)
Served as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka between deployments; sources indicate service around 2006–2007.
Graduated Officer Candidate School (Alabama Military Academy)
Graduated from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Fort McClellan, Alabama (Alabama Military Academy) as the distinguished honor graduate — the first woman to do so in the Academy's history; commissioned as second lieutenant.
Deployed to Kuwait as Military Police platoon leader (2008–2009)
Served in Kuwait training counterterrorism units and as an Army Military Police officer; noted as one of the first women to enter a Kuwaiti military facility and received an award of appreciation from the Kuwait National Guard.
Graduated Hawaii Pacific University (BS, Business Administration)
Earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in international business from Hawaii Pacific University.
Elected to Honolulu City Council (6th district)
Won runoff election for Honolulu City Council, representing parts of downtown Honolulu and neighborhoods including Makiki and Kalihi.
Declared candidacy for U.S. House (Hawaii's 2nd district)
After Mazie Hirono announced a Senate run, Gabbard declared her candidacy for the open U.S. House seat (May 2011).
Founded Kanu Productions (film production company, per report)
Reported founding of a film production company (Kanu Productions) in 2011 (reported in several media timelines).
Became first Hindu and first Samoan American voting member of Congress
Upon her swearing-in, Gabbard made history as the first practicing Hindu and the first Samoan American voting member in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Won Democratic primary for U.S. House (HI-2)
Defeated several primary opponents (including Mufi Hannemann) to become the Democratic nominee for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district.
Spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention
Invited by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as part of a segment highlighting female members of the party's House delegation; introduced as 'an emerging star.'
Elected to U.S. House of Representatives (HI-2)
Won the general election and became the first Samoan American and first Hindu American voting member of the U.S. Congress.
Applied for appointment to fill Daniel Inouye's Senate seat
Applied to be appointed to the Senate after Senator Daniel Inouye's death; was not among the three names forwarded to the governor.
Received John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award
Harvard Kennedy School honored Gabbard with the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award for her efforts on behalf of veterans (award year cited in press as 2013).
Awarded Meritorious Service Medal and other military decorations (timeline summary)
Throughout her military career Gabbard received decorations including the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medals, Army Good Conduct Medal, and the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency (dates vary).
Elected Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC)
Unanimously elected as a vice chair of the DNC, serving in party leadership while a member of Congress.
Introduced Helping Heroes Fly Act
Introduced legislation to expedite airport security screening for severely wounded veterans; bill received bipartisan support and was later enacted.
Re-elected to U.S. House (2014)
Won reelection to represent Hawaii's 2nd district (defeated Kawika Crowley); continued work on veterans and foreign policy issues.
Received County Alumni Award and Friend of the National Parks Award (reported)
Reported recognition for public service from the National Association of Counties and National Parks Conservation Association (reported in press timelines; approximate 2015).
Engaged to Abraham Williams; later married
Announced engagement to Abraham Williams in February 2015; married on April 9, 2015. Williams is a cinematographer.
Promoted to Major in Hawaii Army National Guard
Promoted from captain to major at a ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific while serving concurrently in Congress and the National Guard.
Introduced Talia's Law
Introduced legislation aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect on military bases; Congress passed the bill in Feb 2016 and it was signed into law in Dec 2016.
Resigned as DNC Vice Chair and endorsed Bernie Sanders
Stepped down from her DNC leadership position on February 28, 2016 to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Re-elected to U.S. House (2016)
Won reelection with 81.2% of the vote against Republican Angela Kaaihue.
Talia's Law and Filipino WWII Congressional Gold Medal signed
Talia's Law (passed Congress Feb 2016) and the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino and Filipino American WWII veterans (co-sponsored with Sen. Hirono) were signed into law by President Obama in December 2016.
Unannounced trip to Syria; met Bashar al-Assad
Visited Syria on an unannounced trip and met President Bashar al-Assad; later faced U.S. criticism for the meeting and related comments.
Introduced Off Fossil Fuels (OFF) Act
Introduced legislation aiming for a transition to 100% clean energy by 2035.
Controversial public positions on Syria and Russia-related matters (ongoing)
Gabbard's 2017 Syria trip and subsequent comments questioning official narratives led to sustained criticism and allegations of palling with foreign actors; these positions were later raised during DNI nomination in 2024–2025.
Re-elected to U.S. House (2018)
Won reelection in 2018 with 77.4% of the vote against Brian Evans.
Named Distinguished Alumni and received Ho' ola Na Pua Award (reported)
Recognized by Hawaii Pacific University as a distinguished alumna and received the Ho'ola Na Pua Award for work on behalf of human trafficking survivors (reported 2018).
Co-sponsored No More Presidential Wars Act
Co-sponsored the No More Presidential Wars Act with Rep. Walter Jones to reaffirm Congress's authority over declarations of war.
Announced 2020 presidential candidacy (public announcement)
Publicly announced plans to seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination (various sources cite January–February 2019; official campaign launch events in early Feb 2019).
Faced criticism for missed congressional votes
Between October and December 2019 missed a high percentage of House votes while campaigning (reports cite up to 85% missed in a period), and later cast 'present' votes on the Trump impeachment articles.
Participated in 2020 Democratic primary debates
Qualified for and participated in Democratic primary debates, including the July 2019 debate and later the October debate in Ohio.
Filed 'present' votes on Trump impeachment articles (Dec 2019)
During impeachment proceedings Gabbard cast 'present' votes on both articles of impeachment (reported December 2019), citing various considerations while running for president.
Announced she would not seek reelection to Congress
Declared she would not run for another term in Congress in 2020 in order to focus on her presidential campaign.
Filed, then dropped, defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton
Filed a defamation suit against Hillary Clinton in January 2020 alleging false statements about ties to Russia; dropped the suit in May 2020.
Suspended 2020 presidential campaign; endorsed Joe Biden
Ended her long-shot presidential bid and announced support for Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Transferred from Hawaii Army National Guard to U.S. Army Reserve
In June 2020, she transferred from the Hawaii Army National Guard to a California-based U.S. Army Reserve unit assigned to USACAPOC(A) (civil affairs/psychological operations command).
Met with family of Vanessa Guillén
Met the family of the murdered Army soldier Vanessa Guillén and called for reforms to address military sexual harassment.
Advocated for whistleblower Jennifer Smith
Advocated for Jennifer Smith, a Hawaii Department of Health epidemiologist who reported issues with the state's COVID-19 contact tracing; Smith was reinstated in November 2020.
Converted campaign committee into leadership PAC (Tulsi Now → Tulsi Aloha)
Transformed her presidential campaign committee into a leadership PAC named Tulsi Aloha in September 2020.
Given command of 1st Battalion, 354th Regiment (reported)
Reportedly assigned command of the 1st Battalion, 354th Regiment based in Tulsa, Oklahoma (text mentions assignment but gives no firm date).
Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (U.S. Army Reserve)
Promoted to lieutenant colonel while deployed to the Horn of Africa, serving as a civil affairs officer in support of a special operations mission.
Spoke at CPAC
Spoke at the conservative CPAC conference and became a frequent guest on conservative media as part of a post-congressional shift in public profile.
Left Democratic Party; became Independent
Announced departure from the Democratic Party, calling it an 'elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness.'
Endorsed Donald Trump for president (2024)
Publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election while still an independent (before formally joining the GOP later in 2024).
Joined the Republican Party
Formally changed party affiliation from Independent to Republican at a Trump rally in North Carolina while campaigning for Trump.
Nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for Director of National Intelligence
President-elect Trump announced Gabbard as his nominee for Director of National Intelligence for his second administration.
Confirmation hearing before Senate Intelligence Committee
Testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence regarding her nomination; pledged to separate political views from official duties.
Senate Intelligence Committee advances nomination
Senate Intelligence Committee advanced Gabbard's nomination 9–8 along party lines on February 4, 2025.
Sworn in as 8th Director of National Intelligence
Officially assumed the DNI role on February 12, 2025 and was sworn in by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Confirmed by U.S. Senate as Director of National Intelligence
Confirmed by the full Senate on February 12, 2025 by a 52–48 vote; sworn in that day and became the highest‑ranking Pacific Islander American government official in U.S. history.
Testified before Congress about Iran's nuclear program (March 2025)
Testified that intelligence indicated Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and that Iran's supreme leader had not authorized a weapons program; testimony drew public attention and later controversy.
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