President-elect Trump will soon choose a candidate to lead domestic intelligence agencies, and is thought to be considering a former Democrat.
Former Hawaii House Democrat Tulsi Gabbard is on the shortlist for director of national intelligence, multiple sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Former Utah Republican Rep. Chris Stewart is also in “active discussions” with the transition team about the role, the people said.
Stewart resigned from the House of Representatives in 2023 to take care of his wife as she suffered from health problems. He co-founded lobbying firm Skyline Capitol with Trump's former national security adviser Robert O'Brien, who is also rumored to be under consideration for the administration.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard joins Republicans at Trump rally
Gabbard, a retired military officer and active-duty Army reservist, served as a Democrat in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021 before joining the Republican Party and campaigning for Trump in the recent presidential election. She currently serves as co-chair of the Trump transition team.
Former Hawaii House Democrat Tulsi Gabbard is on the shortlist for director of national intelligence, multiple sources confirmed to Fox News Digital. (Getty Images)
In September, Gabbard told Fox News Digital that she was “honored” to join the Trump administration, calling for efforts to end “the influence of the military-industrial complex,” prevent World War III, and lead the United States. He added that he would work to “recover from the war.” “The brink of nuclear war'' will be one of her priorities.
She was reportedly interested in the Secretary of Defense job, and President Trump reportedly promised the appointment to former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, also an Army veteran.
Gabbard has criticized Democrats as “pro-censorship” and “anti-freedom,” but her criticism extends to Republicans as well. She opposes U.S. involvement in the Middle East and has criticized President Trump for the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani during his first administration.
Gabbard sparked controversy when she met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017 during the country's civil war. She opposes the U.S. supplying weapons to Syrian rebels and said she is “ready to meet with anyone who might help end this war.”
Gabbard was reportedly placed on the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) terrorist watch list known as “Quiet Skies” earlier this year.
Trump hugs Gabbard during a campaign rally at the Greensboro Coliseum on October 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nickinson)
The program allows federal air marshals to track U.S. citizens and gather information about their movements in order to thwart threats “from unknown or partially known terrorists.”
Tulsi Gabbard says she's 'honored' to join President Trump's administration
“During my travels, every time I went to the airport to board a plane, I ended up going through a 30- to 45-minute test,” she told Fox's One Nation. “I noticed with our air marshals and K-12 teams that there were things I saw and noticed that were very unusual. But the deepest pain, harm and stress caused by this… That’s what I’m going to be forever and always will be.”I look over my shoulder to see if and how the government is monitoring me. ”
Representative Chris Stewart (R-Utah) questions former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker and former National Security Council official Tim Morrison as they testify before the House Intelligence Committee at the Capitol in Washington on November 19. do. In 2019, during public impeachment hearings over President Trump's efforts to link U.S. aid to Ukraine to investigations of political opponents. (Jacqueline Martin/Pool, via Reuters)
She co-sponsored a bill in Congress that would ban the first use of nuclear weapons and often criticized politicians for “beating the drums of war and escalating tensions.”
Gabbard, a Fox News contributor, could not be reached for comment.
President Trump on Tuesday nominated former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA.
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The Director of National Intelligence heads the office that advises the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council on national security issues. Nominees for this role must be confirmed by the Senate or appointed by proxy.
