Hindu Roots in American Politics: Tulsi Gabbard’s trailblazing leadership in US Intelligence

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who switched to the Republican Party to support Donald Trump, has been chosen by the president-elect to serve as the director of national intelligence.

In this important role, Tulsi Gabbard would be in charge of U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and the NSA, which handles gathering intelligence.

Gabbard's nomination has sparked concerns about her limited experience in intelligence and past accusations of promoting Russian propaganda.

The accusations don't necessarily mean she is pro-Russia, but some critics have claimed that she has, at times, echoed viewpoints or narratives that align with Russian positions. This has led to concerns about her stance on certain issues, though she has denied being supportive of Russia.

She'll need approval from the Senate before she can officially take on the role.

If Gabbard is confirmed, she would oversee 18 intelligence agencies and manage a budget of over $70 billion.

The Intelligence Community is made up of 18 organizations, all overseen by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). In addition to the CIA and the DNI office, these include: Air Force Intelligence, Army Intelligence, Coast Guard Intelligence, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Marine Corps Intelligence, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, National Security Agency, Navy Intelligence, and Space Force Intelligence.

However, the nomination has faced criticism from some groups.

Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger from Virginia, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, expressed her shock at Tulsi Gabbard's nomination in a post on X, according to the BBC.

She said Gabbard is not only unqualified and inexperienced, but also spreads conspiracy theories and has been friendly with dictators like Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Vladimir Putin.

Who is Tulsi Gabbard? 

Gabbard, a military veteran who served with a medical unit in Iraq, has achieved several political firsts throughout her career.

At 21, Gabbard became the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii State Legislature in 2002. After serving one term, she stepped down when her National Guard unit was deployed to Iraq.

A National Guard unit is a part-time military group made up of citizens who train and serve in emergencies or during deployments, like in war zones, while also having civilian jobs.

Gabbard represented Hawaii in Congress from 2013 to 2021, becoming the first Hindu member of the House of Representatives. 

Gabbard once supported progressive ideas like government-funded healthcare, free college, and gun control. These were key parts of her 2020 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, but she later dropped out and endorsed Joe Biden.

In 2022, Gabbard left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent. She criticized the party, calling it an "elitist group of warmongers" and accusing it of being driven by "cowardly wokeness."

When Tulsi Gabbard referred to the Democratic Party as an "elitist group of warmongers," she was criticizing its leadership, suggesting that they were more focused on serving powerful, influential groups rather than the average person. By saying the party is driven by "cowardly wokeness," she implied that their efforts to promote social justice and progressive values were insincere or overly cautious, prioritizing political correctness over real, meaningful action. Essentially, she was accusing the party of straying from the needs of ordinary people and focusing on maintaining power and image.

Gabbard became a contributor for Fox News, where she frequently spoke about issues like gender and free speech. She also became a strong supporter of Donald Trump and officially joined the Republican Party less than a month ago.

Controversial Comments on Syria and Ukraine

In 2019, while Gabbard was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, she faced criticism from her opponents for getting seemingly positive coverage from Russian state media.

That same year, Gabbard was also criticized for her perceived support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is viewed as a close ally of Russia.

Gabbard stated that Assad "is not an enemy of the United States because Syria doesn’t directly threaten the U.S." She also defended her decision to meet with him in 2017, during Trump’s first term.

In the same year, Gabbard told CNN in an interview that she was "skeptical" about whether the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of people.

In 2019, Gabbard also referred to Assad as a "brutal dictator."

Gabbard has also made several controversial comments about Russia and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Gabbard posted on social media, saying the war could have been avoided if the U.S. and its Western allies had acknowledged Russia’s "legitimate security concerns" about Ukraine wanting to join NATO.

The next month, Gabbard claimed it was an "undeniable fact" that there were U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine that could potentially "release and spread deadly pathogens (harmful germs or viruses)." She used this to call for a ceasefire.

In response, Republican Senator Mitt Romney accused Gabbard of spreading "real Russian propaganda."

Russian TV is portraying her nomination as intelligence director as something that could make Washington's relationship with Ukraine more difficult.

Dmitry Melnikov, a correspondent for Rossiya 1 (a major Russian TV channel), said her nomination "isn't a good sign for Kyiv," pointing out that she had previously "openly blamed the Biden administration for provoking Russia," as stated by the BBC.

The channel's presenter also noted that Gabbard had "strongly criticized Zelensky and urged for talks with Russia."

About Iran 

Gabbard criticized several decisions made by Trump’s administration during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.

In 2020, Gabbard said the Trump administration gave “no justification at all” during an intelligence briefing about the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

He was killed in 2020 by a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s international airport in Iraq.

The White House and Pentagon confirmed Soleimani's death, stating that the strike was ordered by Trump to prevent future attacks that Iran was allegedly planning.

When CNN asked Gabbard if she thought Iran was an immediate security threat, she responded that the key question should be: “Is our national security better off because of Donald Trump’s actions?” Her answer was, “No.”

In a CNN interview, Gabbard accused Trump of pushing the U.S. toward war with Iran. She argued that there was “no justification” for what she called an illegal and unconstitutional act, referring to the killing of Soleimani. According to Al-Jazeera, she saw Trump’s actions as a dangerous step that could lead to further conflict.

Gabbard’s India Connections Highlighted

Gabbard has maintained a close relationship with the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having met with him several times.

In 2019, The Intercept reported that over 100 people linked to a Hindu nationalist movement, which is connected to Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, had donated to Gabbard’s House campaigns, according to Al Jazeera.

In January 2019, Gabbard attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, as a guest of honor. This event is the Indian government’s annual gathering to connect with its overseas community.

Gabbard’s nomination comes just weeks after the U.S. revealed an indictment (a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime) against former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav.He was accused of being involved in a failed plot to assassinate Indian-American Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the U.S. in 2023.

The discovery of this plot was the result of efforts by U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI, both of which Gabbard will oversee if she becomes the Director of National Intelligence.

The indictment against Vikash Yadav is an accusation, not proof of guilt, and requires legal proceedings for confirmation.

Gabbard's View on Gaza Conflict

In recent months, Gabbard has also criticized pro-Palestine protesters in the U.S., calling them “puppets” of a “radical Islamist group,” seemingly referring to Hamas.

She has given full support to Israel's war in Gaza, where over 43,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, with the majority being women and children.

Gabbard does not seem to support a ceasefire in Gaza, even though she has taken anti-interventionist (opposed to getting involved in foreign conflicts) positions on other conflicts. In a February interview posted on YouTube, she described Hamas as a "threat that must be defeated both militarily and ideologically."

When asked about the U.S. supporting a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Gabbard said it should be handled in a strategic way.

We need to face the reality of the ongoing threat to the people of Israel. As long as Hamas remains in control, Israel’s citizens won't be safe and won't be able to live in peace.

Tulsi Gabbard's Hindu Journey

As reported by the Times of India, Tulsi Gabbard, a four-term U.S. Congresswoman and 43-year-old veteran, was born in 1981 in American Samoa to a Samoan-American father and a mother from the American Midwest. She spent her childhood in Hawaii and the Philippines. Her mother, Carol Porter Gabbard, grew up in a culturally diverse environment and developed a deep interest in Hinduism, which influenced her decision to give her children Hindu names such as Bhakti, Jai, Aryan, Tulsi, and Vrindavan. Tulsi follows Hinduism, continuing the faith her mother adopted.

Videos of Tulsi Gabbard chanting "Hare Krishna" have gone viral after she became the first Hindu to lead U.S. intelligence agencies. Due to her religion, many assumed she was of Indian descent.

However, in 2012, Tulsi clarified this misconception herself. In response to a message referring to her as an Indian-American, she stated, "I am not of Indian origin."

 

(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)  

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA)