Tulsi Gabbard was in more than one cult

[marmar]

Tulsi Gabbard was in more than one cult
The former director of national intelligence — and MAGA member — allegedly took orders on politics from her guru

By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published June 25, 2026 9:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) America has always been a haven for cult leaders. Its commitment to religious freedom, a concept on which the country was originally settled — and which the founders understood to be necessary to avoid the sectarian wars that had consumed Europe for centuries — guaranteed that anyone capable of attracting a following could form one without government interference. The country’s equal commitment to capitalism meant that it was possible to make a tidy profit at it in the process.

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All of this is relevant to Gabbard, who is one of the most enigmatic and eccentric characters in American politics today — which is saying something. Before Jon Swaine’s exposé in the Post, it had been well known for years that Gabbard grew up in a cult in Hawaii and has continued to be affiliated with it throughout her life. She and her family, who are also members, portrayed it as a benign Hindu sect that believed in peaceful coexistence and love, and although she was questioned about it at every phase of her very unusual political path, questions about its leader, Chris Butler, never really stuck to her. At every twist and turn in her ideology, Gabbard deftly side-stepped any concerns that she might have some sort of hidden agenda.

Swaine’s story about Gabbard’s ongoing relationship with Butler has brought it all back to the surface. The reporter had been investigating Gabbard’s cult, dubbed the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF), for some time. But as with most cults, it is very secretive, and Swaine ran up against a brick wall — until he found a whistleblower who had a cache of documents. Those indicated that Gabbard has been taking specific, explicit direction for years from Butler.

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All this shapeshifting gives few clues about what Butler has been pursuing all these years, aside from power itself, which he has apparently wielded in the person of Gabbard. If he has an agenda, it is impossible to discern what it is. He had Gabbard sucking up to murderous dictators at the same time she was supposedly one of the leading anti-war figures in Congress. Her sharp turn from supporting Bernie Sanders to riding the Trump train was dizzying. ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/06/25/tulsi-gabbard-was-in-more-than-one-cult/