Trump aims to appoint a National Intelligence chief who has promoted Russian propaganda.

The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, who is in the process of forming his administration, has announced his nominee for the position of Director of National Intelligence. The candidate is politician and former intelligence officer Tulsi Gabbard, known for spreading Russian disinformation and propaganda against Ukraine.

On Wednesday, November 13, Fox News reported, citing Trump's statement, that he has approved her nomination for the position of Director of National Intelligence. 43-year-old Tulsi Gabbard is a former Congresswoman from the Democratic Party and a reserve lieutenant colonel who served in Iraq. In 2022, she left the Democratic Party, calling it an "elite cabal of warmongers," and became an independent candidate, joining the Republicans a month before the U.S. presidential elections.

“As a former presidential candidate from the Democratic Party, she has broad support in both parties – now she is a proud Republican! I know that Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her distinguished career into our intelligence community, defending our constitutional rights and ensuring peace through strength. Tulsi will make us all proud,” Donald Trump stated.

Gabbard could replace the Democratic Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines. During her tenure, she will oversee the national intelligence program and advise the president on security issues.

It is important to note that Tulsi Gabbard opposes military support for Ukraine and supports Russian narratives regarding the country. In April 2022, the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine reported that Gabbard has been working for foreign audiences funded by Russia for several years, spreading Kremlin propaganda.

In particular, the politician claimed that the U.S. is allegedly "to blame for Russia's military aggression" because it had "provoked" Russia for many years, and she also spread the Kremlin's narrative that the ruling elites in the U.S. are trying to "kill as many Russians as possible through the hands of Ukrainians."

Despite accusations of ties to Russia and directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Gabbard continued to appear as an expert on the American television channel Fox News, which supports Trump. On the air, Tulsi Gabbard spreads conspiracy theories and actively misinforms viewers about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction being developed in Ukrainian biolabs.

Additionally, in 2018, Gabbard accused Poland and Ukraine of alleged anti-Semitism, glorifying Nazism, and denying the Holocaust. At that time, the Jewish Community Association (VAAD) refuted these accusations and labeled Gabbard's actions as "anti-Ukrainian defamation" used by the Russians.

Furthermore, the politician secretly met with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. She referred to this meeting as a "fact-finding mission" and refused to label Assad as a war criminal.

You can find the complete list of candidates for Donald Trump's administration here.