Global ‘alarm’ over Donald Trump selecting Tulsi Gabbard as his intelligence chief: Defence leaders weigh in on president elect’s ‘pro-Moscow’ pick

Concerns have been raised across the globe about Donald Trump selecting Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence. 

The former Army Lieutenant Colonel was tipped for the senior national security role after becoming a Trump ally – which will see her oversee America’s 18 intelligenge agencies. 

The 43-year-old formally announced that she joined the Republican Party at a campaign rally alongside Trump in the summer.

Ms Gabbard has repeated Russian propaganda over Ukrainian ‘bio-labs’, defended Moscow’s case for war, and met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad on two occasions after dismissing reports about his use of chemical weapons. 

Now, her nomination has ignited fears over possible decreases in intelligence sharing. 

Former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, told The Telegraph: ‘This is a maverick appointment. She has no experience of intelligence and security. We have to see how this plays out once she’s in the job.’ 

Meanwhile, Philip Ingram, former British Army senior intelligence and security officer, said: ‘I think appointing anyone with zero intelligence experience to be director of national intelligence should be an alarm call.’ 

A Western intelligence source told Politico that Mr Gabbard’s appointment could have an impact on intelligence sharing throughout the Five-Eyes allowance.  

Gabbard announced alongside Donald Trump over the summer that she was joining the Republican Party 

And Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commander of Nato’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear battalion, said the US-UK alliance could be affected by the decision. 

Gabbard was a lifelong Democrat, and served in the party as a U.S. Representative from Hawaii from 2013 until 2021. She rose to national prominence during her unsuccessful Democratic primary bid in 2020.

After leaving the Democratic Party in 2022 and announcing her movement to the Republican Party two years later, Gabbard became a supporter and surrogate for Trump. 

She became co-chair of Trump’s transition team after his historic presidential election victory on November 5.

Gabbard has been vocal about her criticism of the ‘weaponization’ of the intelligence community – especially under President Joe Biden’s administration against Trump and his circle.

She claims that Democrats believe the intelligence arms of the U.S. are able to act without oversight and ‘screw’ Americans with whom they disagree.

‘I’ll never forget when Chuck Schumer on television warned, “Trump is an idiot to mess with the intelligence community ’cause they can screw you six ways from Sunday”,’ Gabbard said during remarks at the Young Americans for Liberty’s (YAL) Revolution 2022 event in August 2022.

She continued: ‘Highest-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate warning the American people, essentially, against messing with the intelligence community because of how badly they can screw you. As though they are some autonomous body of government that is accountable to no one.’

‘How can this be America?’ she questioned. ‘This goes against these ideals of a government of, by and for the people.’

Trump’s announcement of Gabbard on Wednesday helps begin to round out his new national security and defense-related team.

He plans to nominate Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) as his national security adviser.

Trump is nominating North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead his Department of Homeland Security.

And earlier this week, the former and future president announced his previous DNI John Ratcliffe would lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).