Tulsi Gabbard

A top-secret whistleblower complaint alleged that ODNI under Gabbard attempted to prevent the normal circulation of certain classified intelligence for political reasons and delayed providing Congress with the instructions needed to review the complaint.

Gabbard announced in May 2026 that she would leave the DNI post with effect from 30 June, citing her husband's serious illness as the personal reason for her departure.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Press investigations examined Gabbard's and her family's longstanding links to the Science of Identity Foundation, a movement led by Chris Butler. The Wall Street Journal also reported that in 2017 her team worked to reduce public association between Gabbard and the movement.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Attribution

Personally implicated

Documents and Senate oversight work established that Gabbard had been subjected for a period in 2024 to enhanced surveillance under the Quiet Skies/Silent Partner programme during air travel, before being removed from it.

State of the evidence

Documented

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Gabbard's nomination as Director of National Intelligence prompted a particularly contentious confirmation process involving her experience, meeting with Assad, positions on Russia, Edward Snowden and Section 702 surveillance.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

As DNI, Gabbard had testified that the intelligence community assessed that Iran was not then building a nuclear weapon and that its supreme leader had not reauthorised the programme suspended in 2003. Trump publicly said she was wrong.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Gabbard declassified documents concerning the intelligence assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election and accused Obama administration officials of participating in a 'treasonous conspiracy' targeting Donald Trump.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Attribution

Directly implicated

Gabbard revoked the security clearances of 37 current or former intelligence officials, accusing them of politicising or manipulating intelligence, against the background of the dispute over the 2016 Russia assessment.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Intelligence sources claimed that the list of 37 people whose clearances Gabbard revoked disclosed the name of an undercover CIA officer and that the action had not been properly coordinated with the agency.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Attribution

Directly implicated

After leaving the Democratic Party in 2022, denouncing it as elitist and warmongering, Gabbard supported Donald Trump in 2024 and subsequently announced that she was joining the Republican Party.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

On the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Gabbard argued that war could be avoided if the Biden administration and NATO recognised Russia's 'legitimate security concerns' regarding possible Ukrainian NATO membership.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Gabbard raised concerns about biological laboratories in Ukraine funded or supported by the United States and called for them to be secured, messages widely criticised as reinforcing Russian propaganda about American 'biolabs'.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Gabbard stated that the United States was 'not so different' from Russia on freedom of expression, citing platform moderation and institutional pressure.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Gabbard's presidential campaign sued Google for $50 million, alleging that temporary suspension of its advertising account after a debate violated her First Amendment rights.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Case dismissed / dropped

Attribution

Protagonist is the complainant

Gabbard sued Hillary Clinton for defamation over remarks implying that a Democratic candidate was being groomed by Russia. She sought at least $50 million.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Protagonist is the complainant

Early in her political career in Hawaii, Gabbard supported her father's campaigns against same-sex marriage, opposed civil unions and used the expression 'homosexual extremists' in 2004. These positions resurfaced during her presidential campaign.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Gabbard cultivated close relationships with Narendra Modi and officials or donors from US Hindu networks, some of whom had links to Hindu nationalist organisations. Her campaigns received significant financial support from the Indian diaspora.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Gabbard published analyses casting doubt on certain Western accounts of the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons and opposed US strikes, prompting accusations that she was amplifying narratives favourable to Assad.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Gabbard was the only House member to vote 'present' on both articles of impeachment against Donald Trump in December 2019, drawing strong criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Gabbard visited Syria and met President Bashar al-Assad while his regime faced accusations of war crimes and US sanctions. The visit and meeting triggered bipartisan criticism.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

As vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, Gabbard criticised the limited number of primary debates and clashed with the party leadership. In February 2016, she resigned from the DNC to endorse Bernie Sanders.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated