President-elect Donald Trump has appointed former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as the new director of national intelligence. Gabbard, who was the first Hindu and first Samoan to serve in the U.

President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Tulsi Gabbard as U.S. intelligence chief has sent shockwaves through the national security establishment, adding to concerns that the sprawling intelligence community will become increasingly politicized.

In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint ex-Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence, reports have resurfaced her ties to a religious sect described as a “cult”—a connection that has the potential to throw her nomination,