The Fight to Preserve America's Future: DNI Tulsi Gabbard at CPAC Retreat & Gala

At the CPAC Retreat and Gala held at the Mar-a-Lago Club on November 6, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a powerful address centered on preserving America’s founding values, strengthening national security, and transcending ideological division. Speaking to an audience of top conservative leaders and activists, she reaffirmed the Trump Administration’s America First agenda, celebrated its successes over the past year, and charted a strategic course for the future rooted in unity and America's founding principles. Gabbard's remarks underscored the administration’s continued focus on issues that matter to the American people, such as border security, counterterrorism, and the defense of constitutional principles, offering a path forward against an increasingly radical left.

Gabbard began by reflecting on her own political transformation—from a Democratic congresswoman to one of the most prominent figures in the Trump Administration. Her departure from the Democratic Party, she explained, was not a decision made lightly but one rooted in the conviction that the party had left America behind.

“Fundamentally, the basis of our government, of our political movement must be rooted in the Constitution,” she declared. “They must be rooted in the belief that we have a commitment to defend our God-given rights and freedoms.”

For Gabbard, the shift was not about partisanship but about principle—the recognition that the modern Democratic Party had abandoned working families and traded the bedrock ideals of liberty for an elitist ideology. She argued that the Left’s increasingly radical agenda now attacks the very traditions that define America, from faith and family to individual responsibility, leaving conservatives as the last guardians of those timeless truths.

Gabbard praised President Trump for embodying that defense of freedom through action rather than rigid ideology. She credited his 2024 electoral victory to his ability to break through political polarization and deliver solutions that resonate with everyday Americans.

“That [victory] happened because President Trump uniquely had the ability to bring people together around the issues that matter most,” she said. “He doesn’t get stuck in dogmatic lanes, views, or debates; he listens to the American people and takes the America First policy and really puts it into action.”

She described his approach as pragmatic, not ideological—focused on securing borders, improving public safety, reducing crime, and revitalizing the economy. Trump’s success, she said, came from governing with the common sense that Washington had long abandoned, and from understanding that leadership means listening to the people you serve.

Gabbard warned that the Democratic Party’s accelerating radicalization towards socialism poses new challenges for conservatives and for the nation’s stability. The new trend in the Democratic Party is towards democratic socialism, with a self-proclaimed socialist now elected the mayor of America's largest city and economic hub.

“You can see the results of the elections that just played out a couple of days ago to understand how the dynamic is shifting,” she observed. “The conversations that we are having need to recognize that shift and understand that we can win these arguments by providing a superior debate. So whether you’re talking about how we solve domestic problems or Islamist extremism, we have the superior solutions. This is how we continue to win in a way that exceeds any politics but ensures that we, as Americans, have a future that’s rooted in the foundations of this country that we love.”

Gabbard's message was clear: to remain competitive, conservatives must combat an increasingly radical left by focusing on the successes of the Trump Administration, which addresses the issues that matter to the American people.

Drawing from her experience leading the national intelligence community, Gabbard outlined the administration’s proactive approach to national security and how this success is the key for conservatives to remain competitive in the future.

“There are a number of threats we face. President Trump talks about them all the time, and the approach that he’s taking is a very practical one of how to keep us safe,” she said. “The National Counter Terrorism Center is working front and center on his number one priority. Yes, securing our borders, but also tackling those threats here within.”

Her comments highlighted a central theme of the evening: that America’s defense must be strong, strategic, and uncompromising. She emphasized that the administration’s approach to counterterrorism and border integrity reflects not only a commitment to safety but also a moral duty to protect the rights and security of American citizens. Gabbard called on conservatives to fight the left's ideology of open-border policies and support for terrorists that denigrate the founding principles of liberty and security that have made America great.

Gabbard offered conservatives a roadmap for the 2026 midterms and beyond—one forged through her own journey and grounded in traditional American principles and pragmatism. She called on conservatives to stay unified, focused, and bold in advancing the issues that matter most to Americans: secure borders, safe streets, affordable living, and unapologetic patriotism. Her message carried both urgency and optimism: that despite the Left’s drift toward socialism and ideological division, America’s future remains bright so long as its people stand firm in defense of their God-given freedoms. For Gabbard, the fight to preserve America's liberty is not just political—it is moral and generational. And as she reminded the audience in closing, the task before conservatives is nothing less than ensuring that the nation’s founding ideals endure.