Tulsi Gabbard Used Her 'Cult Name' as Her Password For Years Across Accounts: Report

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard repeatedly used variations of the same password — based on the name allegedly given to her by a "cult" — for several years on multiple personal accounts, according to an investigation.

Leaked password data reviewed by WIRED showed Gabbard used the word "shraddha" in passwords on platforms including Gmail, Dropbox, LinkedIn and MyFitnessPal. The word is believed to be linked to the name "Shraddha Dasi," allegedly given to Gabbard upon her induction into a controversial religious organization that she has denied connection to.

The reuse of this password across accounts, some dating back over a decade, fuels ongoing concerns among users regarding Gabbard's competence in her current role overseeing the U.S. intelligence community. The report follows controversy surrounding the involvement of several top level officials, including Gabbard, in a Signal group chat where sensitive military information was shared despite the accidental addition of a journalist.

There is no evidence that Gabbard's compromised credentials were tied to government systems. However, as she has been entrusted with the nation's most sensitive secrets, concerns over the alleged lapse in digital safety were raised online.

"Yes, using passwords across multiple accounts is the most serious mistake people make. It's also very common. But for someone who holds the post of Director of National Security, this is disgracefully amateurish," one user wrote on X.

"Tulsi Gabbard used her cult name as her password and I just marvel at how every single day it's like new levels of stupidity and incompetence spring to life like they can't invent them fast enough," another added on Bluesky.

The revelation has also inflamed concerns about Gabbard's reported involvement in the Science of Identity Foundation, a derivative of the Hare Krishna movement, which some have reportedly likened to a cult. Former members previously told the Wall Street Journal that Gabbard was given the name Shraddha as part of a spiritual initiation. Gabbard and her staff have consistently denied affiliation with the group.

"The data breaches you're referring to occurred almost 10 years ago, and the passwords have changed multiple times since," Gabbard's spokesperson Olivia Coleman told the outlet.

When WIRED posed a follow-up question about the probability of Gabbard's passwords containing the same name allegedly given to her by the controversial spiritual group that she's denied involvement with, deputy chief of staff Alexa Henning responded by calling the report "bigoted" and "hinduphobic."

"This was well litigated during her confirmation hearing so congrats on being about 6 months late to this story. Great job," Henning told the outlet.

Gabbard's past remarks on foreign leaders and controversies around her affiliations have already prompted concerns from the Democratic National Committee, which in 2024 called her a "direct threat to our national security."

Originally published on Latin Times