US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard announced on Monday that she has set off on a multi-nation trip to the Indo-Pacific region, with scheduled visits to Japan, Thailand, and India.
Gabbard’s journey began in Honolulu, where she emphasized the importance of “building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication” in support of US President Donald Trump’s vision for peace, freedom, and prosperity.
Sharing an update on X, Gabbard wrote, “I am #WheelsUp 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 en route back to DC. Building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication are vital to achieving President Trump’s objectives of peace, freedom, and prosperity. First stop: Honolulu where I’ll visit IC partners and INDOPACOM leaders, and our troops engaging in training.”
This marks the first visit by a senior White House official to India under the Trump administration. Gabbard’s visit follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to the US in February, where he met with Gabbard and praised her as a “strong votary” of the India-US friendship.
During his US visit, PM Modi also met President Trump at the White House, marking their first meeting since Trump assumed office for a second term on January 20. The leaders shared a warm exchange, with PM Modi being one of the first global figures to visit the US following Trump’s inauguration. Modi’s visit came within just three weeks of the new administration taking office, underscoring the importance of India-US relations.