MAGA Convert Tulsi Gabbard Rewarded with Nation’s Secrets – The Daily Beast

Tulsi Gabbard’s MAGA makeover has finally paid off.

Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he is naming Gabbard as his director of national intelligence – a powerful position that, if confirmed by the Senate, will give her near-unfettered access to state secrets as the leader of the U.S. intelligence community.

The cabinet appointment represents a turning point for Gabbard. The 43-year-old Army National Guard veteran — and former Hawaii congressman — ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, hoping to replace Donald Trump.

However, Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 and spent the late summer campaigning for Trump alongside fellow MAGA convert Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans,” Trump wrote in a statement. “As a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, she enjoys broad support in both parties – now she is a proud Republican!”

“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community by standing up for our constitutional rights and ensuring peace through strength.”

Gabbard’s announcement came at the same time as Trump announced he was tapping Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to be his secretary of state. This ended a days-long wait since the first rumors about the position spread.

Similar to Gabbard, Rubio emerged as a Trump opponent – in the 2016 Republican primaries, where he was infamously referred to as “Little Marco” by Trump – into a top congressional ally for the president-elect. That loyalty appears to have been rewarded with his appointment on Wednesday.

“Leading the State Department is a tremendous responsibility and I am honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me,” Rubio wrote in a statement.