How Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu-American US Director of National Intelligence, was introduced to Hinduism by her parents – Times of India

Ahead of the Inauguration Day on January 20, 2025, US President-elect Donald Trump officially announced the first-ever Hindu-American, Tulsi Gabbard, as the director of national intelligence on Wednesday. In the official announcement, Trump called Tulsi Gabbard to be a “fearless spirit”.
Tulsi Gabbard, 43, started her political journey at the age of 21 in Hawaii’s House of Representatives. She was not only the youngest woman elected to the Hawaii State Legislature, but also the first Hindu to be a member of the House back then; and she took her oath on the sacred Hindu scripture The Bhagavad Gita.
However, did you know that though Tulsi Gabbard is a Hindu American, she doesn’t have Indian roots? Yes, you read that right! As per reports, Tulsi Gabbard was born in American Samoa and raised in Hawaii. She is the daughter of Hawai‘i State Senator Mike Gabbard and his wife Carol Porter Gabbard. Following her mother Carol Porter Gabbard’s footsteps– who was a practicing Hindu and a former member of the Hawai‘i State Board of Education– Tulsi too started practising Hinduism from her teenage years, as per Pacific Edge. Carol’s husband and Tulsi’s father, Mike Gabbard who was a Roman Catholic, too started following Hinduism later, as per reports.
Mike and Carol Gabbard raised their children with Hindu values and even gave their five kids Hindu names– Tulsi Gabbard is their fourth child.
“Hinduism is largely misunderstood today in part because of how it’s been portrayed in a negative and backwards way… In essence, it’s a monotheistic and non-secular practice. It’s more about spirituality than sectarianism,” Tulsi Gabbard once said describing her sect of Vaishnav Hinduism, Brahma Madhva Gaudy Sampradaya, reported The Atlantic in 2015.
Tulsi is married to filmmaker Abraham Williams. The couple, who are Hindu, got married in a traditional Vedic ceremony in 2015, as per People magazine.

Photo: Tulsi Gabbard/ Facebook

Meanwhile, the news was of Tulsi Gabbard becoming the director of national intelligence in the US was first shared by Roger Stone, who has been Trump’s associate for a long time, on his X account claiming that the announcement came directly from Trump. If confirmed, reports suggest that Tulsi will be handling 18 intelligence organisations and she will also coordinate for the President’s Daily Brief.