Washington, USA – Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under the Donald Trump administration, will soon arrive in India as part of a multi-nation tour of the Indo-Pacific. The visit, her first to India since assuming office, underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to strengthening ties with key regional partners amid shifting global dynamics.
Sharing details of her visit, Gabbard said the trip aims to strengthen relationships and foster open communication to advance President Trump’s goals of peace and freedom. “I am wheels up on a multi-nation trip to the Indo-Pacific, a region I know very well having grown up as a child of the Pacific. I’ll be going to Japan, Thailand, and India, with a brief stop in France enroute back to DC,” Gabbard tweeted on Monday, March 10, 2025. This marks her first international engagement as the first female combat veteran to hold the DNI position in Trump’s second administration, which began on January 20, 2025.
Gabbard’s tour kicked off today in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she is meeting with intelligence community partners, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) leaders, and American troops involved in training exercises. Her itinerary reflects a strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific, a region critical to U.S. interests. As of 10:26 PM +04 on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, her plane has departed Honolulu, setting the stage for high-stakes diplomatic engagements.
The India leg of the tour follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States in February 2025, during which he met Gabbard in Washington, DC. She was the first U.S. official to greet Modi at Blair House, a significant gesture highlighting her role in bilateral relations. PM Modi tweeted about the encounter, saying, “Met USA’s Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard in Washington DC. Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she’s always been a strong votary.” Modi’s warm remarks came after Gabbard’s Senate confirmation as DNI in a 52-48 vote, cementing her place in Trump’s cabinet.
In February, the two leaders reportedly discussed deepening intelligence cooperation, including counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and regional security concerns like the foiled murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Gabbard’s upcoming visit to India is expected to build on these talks. U.S. media speculate she will attend the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi next week—a prestigious security conference—where she was invited by Modi to speak and hold bilateral meetings with Indian officials.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii (2013-2021) who joined the Republican Party in 2024, brings a unique perspective to her role. Raised in the Pacific and a veteran of the Iraq War, she has emphasized the importance of “building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication” to achieve Trump’s objectives of “peace, freedom, and prosperity,” as noted in her X post.
This is the first visit to India by a senior Trump administration official since his second term began, signaling a renewed push to bolster the India-U.S. partnership forged during his first presidency. Gabbard’s prior international outing—attending the Munich Security Conference in February 2025—earned praise for its focus on counterterrorism, setting expectations high for her India engagements.
Reactions are already pouring in. Supporters see the visit as a bold move to counter regional challenges, while analysts highlight its alignment with the growing strategic alignment between Washington and New Delhi. Further details of her India schedule are pending, but her tour could shape U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific for the remainder of Trump’s term. Stay tuned as this story develops.
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