New York, Nov 15 : US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Hindu American Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat member of Congress, to his cabinet as the Director of National Intelligence.

"Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength," Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday announcing his pick for the post.

"For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans," Trump said referring to her rank as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve serving in the Iraq War.

She quit the Democratic Party and formally joined the Republican Party this year and campaigned for Trump, urging Indian Americans to vote for him.

It was an ideological 180-degree turn because she had been associated with the Democratic Party's Left and had supported the Leftist Senator, Bernie Sanders, for the presidential nomination in 2016.

She will become the second Hindu on the US cabinet, after Arati Prabhakar, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, now serving with Biden.

After a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, Gabbard said, "India is the world's largest democracy and one of the United States' most important partners in the Asia-Pacific region."

"We spoke about the need to continue to work together to address the pressing issues that impact us and the world," she said.

"We discussed the situation in Kashmir, civil rights, empowering women, and addressing poverty, as well as the concern about escalating tensions with Iran," she added.