Political analysts and observers were shocked on Sunday by a new report revealing that former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's actions throughout her more than two decades in office appeared to have been "guided" by Chris Butler of the Science of Identity Foundation, which several ex-members have described as a "cult."
The Washington Post obtained more than 25,000 memos and other documents exchanged between Gabbard and Butler that appeared to reveal instances in which Butler gave Gabbard direction on several issues, according to the report. There were other instances in which Butler sharply criticized the former Representative from Hawaii as "mealymouthed" over one bill she introduced.
"Dozens of attached memos appeared to document directives and advice for Gabbard from her time in Congress," the report reads in part. "Some contained instructions on what legislation she should propose, which policies she should embrace, and how she should conduct herself on television. They had an air of authority. A memo about a proposal to partition war-torn Iraq into three states quoted an unnamed person as saying it was 'time for TG to come up with this idea.'"
Political analysts and observers reacted to the report on social media.
"Hillary was right about her," Jen Monroe, host of the "Ambitious Crossover Attempt" podcast, posted on X.
"It’s kind of a relief that all her insane policy positions came from a Hindu cult leader and not from [Vladimir] Putin," Sir William Browder, who leads the Global Magnitsky Justice campaign, posted on X.
"Tulsi Gabbard as the Manchurian Candidate but for cult kook," Dan Immergluk, professor emeritus of urban studies at Georgia State University, posted on Bluesky. "Sure, make her national security chief, why not? This would have been such a wild story in the before times. Just everyday insanity now."
"Strong test of the Unitary Executive Theory," James Goodwin, policy director at the Center for Progressive Reform, posted on Bluesky.