United States President-elect Donald Trump has appointed former congresswoman and Samoan, Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of National Intelligence.
In a statement on Wednesday and announcing the news, Trump praised Gabbard for her work in the last two decades to fight “for our country and the freedoms of all Americans”.
“As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – she is now a proud Republican,” he said.
“I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength.
“Tulsi will make us all proud,” he added.
USA Today reported Gabbard, 43, is an American Samoan native who had been a rising star in the Democratic Party.
Her opposition to the Iraq war, as an Army officer who had deployed to the Middle East, helped her gain credibility with progressives.
In 2012, then-President Barack Obama endorsed her bid for Congress.
Gabbard was a Democrat when she served in the House of Representatives from Hawaii from 2013 to 2021.
She ran for president in the Democratic primary in 2020 before leaving the party in 2022 and becoming a Republican this year.
The director of national intelligence is the top intelligence official in the country and is a key adviser to the president.
The position requires confirmation from the Senate, where members are already saying they will support her nomination. She is also the niece of Professor Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, a Samoan academic, writer, poet, and environmentalist. She was the first Samoan to become a full professor in the United States.