He sought to immediately pull out of many countries where the United States had troops, wanted to withdraw from NATO at times because he said other countries were not paying enough, questioned traditional alliances, praised and negotiated with dictators considered foes of the United States and clashed repeatedly with the Republican establishment, particularly Senate Republicans, on foreign policy.
On Saturday, Trump claimed that he suggested to an unidentified foreign leader that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries he views as not spending enough on their own defense — comments that prompted widespread criticism.
During his presidency, Trump cycled through multiple defense secretaries and national security advisers. Most of the relationships ended in ignominious firings and questions from them about his approach and temperament.
Gabbard was elected to Congress in 2012 as a Democrat and left Congress in 2021 after four terms and a failed presidential campaign. After dropping out, she endorsed Joe Biden for the 2020 presidency. But in recent years, she has spoken at the Conservative Political Action Conference, filled in for Tucker Carlson on his former Fox News show and made other appearances in front of Republicans. She exited the Democratic Party officially in 2022. Gabbard has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans for meeting and defending Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and for her isolationist views, but she has become something of a darling among hard-right Republicans in recent years.
Trump has met with Gabbard at least once in person last year. Gabbard has often shared Trump’s approach toward the world with the former president and his team in the post-presidency, according to advisers who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private details. Gabbard and Trump and his team have discussed military entanglements overseas and Trump’s frustrations with Republicans on foreign policy. Trump advisers also hope Gabbard — who serves in the Army Reserve — could appeal to independent voters in a general election, one person familiar with the strategy said, and advocate for his military policies.
“She appeals to Republicans who are skeptical of intervention overseas, which is now a majority of Republican voters,” said Andrew Surabian, a Republican strategist who advises Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
In an email, Gabbard declined to answer questions about her interactions with Trump or his team. “Out of respect for people I talk to or meet with, I have a long-standing policy about disclosing who I meet with and what was/wasn’t discussed,” she wrote.
The Gabbard conversations are only one element of Trump plotting out a second term in the Defense Department. One adviser said that he is determined to have personnel in the department this time who will listen to him and who share “his views philosophically 100 percent” after years of clashing with the Pentagon during his presidency, and that he has begun talking about the Pentagon.
A former senior administration official said Trump was repeatedly frustrated that he could not get involved in…
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