- When Tulsi Gabbard left her job as a Democratic congresswoman in 2021, she wasn't that rich.
- Now a MAGA celebrity, Gabbard has raked in more than $1.2 million in the last year.
- That includes a $297,000 book advance, $170,130 in speaking fees, and $199,500 from Fox News.
When Tulsi Gabbard departed Congress four years ago, she was not particularly wealthy.
Still a member of the Democratic Party and just over a year after the end of her bid for that party's presidential nomination, Gabbard filed a financial disclosure in May 2021 that listed a modest checking account, a handful of investments, and a home mortgage of at least $500,000. Her annual salary over the course of her eight-year tenure, as with all other rank-and-file House members, was $174,000.
Four years and a political transformation later, Gabbard's personal finances look quite different.
At the beginning of January, Gabbard — now President Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence — filed a disclosure revealing that she made more than $1.2 million last year.
That income came primarily from her position as a MAGA media celebrity, including: a combined $170,130 from 13 paid speeches, most of which were delivered to conservative audiences; $199,500 for being a Fox News media contributor; and $119,500 for being a media contributor to the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative advocacy group.
She also earned a $297,500 advance for her 2024 book, "For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind."
Her financial disclosure indicated that she owns up to $500,00 in shares of Rumble, the conservative video platform, along with up to $250,000 in Tesla and up to $50,000 in Bitcoin.
Spokespeople for Trump did not respond to a request for comment for this article. A Trump-Vance transition spokesperson previously told BI that "all nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies."
It's not uncommon for members of Congress to get rich after they leave office. In fact, it's quite common, with lawmakers in both parties typically cashing in on their service via lobbying and consulting gigs.
Gabbard's case is relatively unique, illustrating the financial rewards that have come with the ex-congresswoman's pivot from progressive to MAGA.
That pivot began in the year after she left Congress, culminating in her departure from the Democratic Party in 2022 as she campaigned with several GOP candidates in that year's midterm elections.
She now faces a difficult confirmation fight to be the nation's top intelligence official under Trump, with senators questioning her 2017 trip to Syria to meet Bashar Al-Assad and positions on the Ukraine war.