Hundreds of veterans across the country are offering their unequivocal support to former veterans Democrat Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard As director of national intelligence under newly elected President Donald Trump’s second administration, Fox News Digital learned from this.
“President Donald Trump’s selection by Tulsi Gabbard reflects a profound recognition of her steadfast commitment to our nation and her unwavering commitment to protecting the American people. While most Americans know Tulsi as a fearless and principled congresswoman who stood up against entrenched political systems, we know her as a fellow veteran – someone whose worldview was forged through the crucible of serving in combat zones and a lifelong commitment to service,” reads a letter, “American Veterans for Tulsi Gabbard,” published Monday and obtained by Fox News Digital.
More than 250 veterans signed the letter, including high-profile and nationally known names such as retired General Michael Flynn, former Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, Arizona Representative Eli Crane, Florida Representative Brian Mast and political commentator Jack Posobiec.
“Due to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Tulsi rose to the call of duty, enlisted in the military and relinquished her position as a State Representative of Hawaii when she volunteered to deploy with her unit to Iraq to go. Instead of her political To avoid deployment, Tulsi volunteered to serve in a medical unit in Iraq, where he was directly confronted with the harsh realities, costs and traumas of war,” continues the letter.
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Tulsi Gabbard (Steven Ferdman/Getty Images/File)
“Her dedication to service did not stop there,” it added, before noting the 22 years Gabbard “stood shoulder to shoulder with her fellow service members,” including while serving in the House of Representatives.
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“As a member of Congress and as a civilian, Tulsi has been a fierce advocate for veterans’ health regarding toxic exposures and cancer care resulting from our fellow veterans’ military service. Tulsi’s life exemplifies a rare blend of selflessness, courage and leadership – qualities urgently needed to reform and strengthen our intelligence community,” the letter said.
President-elect Donald Trump greets former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who endorsed Trump, at the 146th General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States, Aug. 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Almost 70% of veterans who signed the letter worked in special operations and/or intelligence, while about 54% of signatories are retired military personnel, and the vast majority of signatories in general have seen combat while in the military, Fox News Digital learned.
Trump nominated Gabbard just days after his election victory over Democrat Vice President Harris last month, arguing that Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career in our intelligence community, standing up for our constitutional rights and securing peace through power.” The director of national intelligence heads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security issues.
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Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves as of 2021, having previously served in the Hawaii Army National Guard for approximately 17 years.
She was elected a member of the US House represents Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, where she served as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after throwing her hat in the 2020 race for the White House.
Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 and registered as an independent before joining the Republican Party this year and voicing her full support for Trump during his presidential campaign.
She is expected to head to Capitol Hill this week to speak with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and GOP leadership to drum up support for her confirmation proceedings. Critics have tried to portray Gabbard as a national security threat sympathetic to U.S. adversaries, a narrative the veterans disputed in the letter.
“The U.S. intelligence community has identified that it has problematic relationships with America’s enemies, and that’s why I’m concerned that it may not pass a background check,” Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, for example, recently said of Gabbard.
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U.S. military personnel walk on the tarmac of the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition in Seongnam, South Korea, on October 18, 2021. (ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)
The veterans hit back at such critics, saying they were spreading “baseless lies” because they were “unable and unwilling to question the substance of her views.”
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“We are shocked by the baseless attacks that question Tulsi’s loyalty to our great nation. For more than twenty years and during multiple combat deployments, Tulsi has risked her life to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people. These attacks are an insult not only to her, but to all of us veterans who have served our country,” the letter reads.
“Tulsi’s patriotism, forged on the battlefield, is far more reflective of the values and aspirations of the American people than the failed policies of so-called ‘experts’ in Washington who have been part of the problem for too long.”
Gabbard has spoken out against creating new wars, declaring in her October speech at Trump’s historic rally at Madison Square Garden that a vote for Harris was a vote for “war.”
‘I have now served for more than 21 years. I was deployed three times to different war zones during that period and I saw the cost of war on my brothers and sisters, who paid the ultimate price. I carry their memories and their sacrifice in my heart every day. This choice that we as Americans have before us is critically important to us. It matters to those of us who serve, who voluntarily put our lives on the line for safety. security and freedom of our country and our people,” she said.
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Tulsi Gabbard (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images/File)
“A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney. And it is a vote for war, probably more war. World War III and nuclear war. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a man who wants to end wars, not start them, and who has already shown he has the courage and strength to stand up and fight for peace,” she continued.
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The veterans celebrated in their letter that Trump and his incoming administration have “a clear mandate to enhance national security without waging unnecessary wars or infringing on civil liberties” and that Gabbard “will carry out that mandate” if confirmed.
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‘We are very grateful to President Trump for that naming Tulsi Gabbard for this crucial role and proud to stand beside her – a leader whose courage and convictions we know firsthand. A warrior whose voice cannot be bought and whose integrity cannot be folded. We are honored to call her one of our own,” they wrote.
