Is Tulsi Gabbard running for president in 2028?

Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman and outgoing Director of National Intelligence, is tracked as a possible 2028 Republican presidential candidate. Her 2026 departure from the DNI role in the Trump administration has fueled speculation about her next political move, with some observers pointing to a possible 2028 bid. She has not declared a campaign, filed with the Federal Election Commission, or made public statements about a 2028 presidential run.

Gabbard's political career spans both parties. She served as a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii for multiple terms before announcing she was leaving the Democratic Party in 2022 and aligning with Republicans. She ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and dropped out in March 2020. She was appointed Director of National Intelligence by President Trump in 2025. Her background includes national-security experience and a cross-party biography that distinguishes her profile in the Republican field.

Gabbard was born in American Samoa, a U.S. territory, to U.S. citizen parents, and has since lived in Hawaii, her home state. She acquired U.S. citizenship at birth through her U.S. citizen parents. Most constitutional scholars consider persons who acquire citizenship at birth through U.S. citizen parents to be natural-born citizens under Article II - the prevailing view is that Gabbard is eligible. She is 45 years old as of mid-2026, above the constitutional minimum of 35, and has been a U.S. resident well in excess of the required 14 years. No legal bar prevents a 2028 candidacy.

The 2028 Republican field as of mid-2026 is led by JD Vance, the sitting vice president. If Gabbard sought the Republican nomination, her lane would likely draw on her national-security credentials, her cross-party biography, and her positions on foreign policy and civil liberties. No major Republican candidate has formally declared a 2028 campaign as of mid-2026.