Tulsi Gabbard’s Brother Accused of Luring Kids to Hotel Room

Politics admin July 19, 2026 0 Comments

Tulsi Gabbard’s Brother Accused of Luring Kids to Hotel Room

The brother of Donald Trump’s ousted director of national intelligence is being accused of attempting to lure children into his hotel room.

Bhakti Gabbard, the brother of Tulsi Gabbard, was charged in connection with a “stranger danger incident” at a Waikīkī hotel pool area in Hawaii on July 12, a spokesperson for the Honolulu Police Department said.

That afternoon, Gabbard, 55, allegedly approached several children, including a 9-year-old boy, and offered them money to come to his hotel room. When they refused, he asked for their names and wrote them down in a notebook before walking away.

Police identified the man as Gabbard, the older brother of Trump’s former top intelligence official, after he was arrested on July 16 in connection with a separate theft offense. He was criminally charged with second-degree custodial interference over the “stranger danger” incident and pleaded not guilty.

Gabbard’s parents, Hawaii state Sen. Mike Gabbard and Carol Gabbard, cited their eldest child’s “mental issues” in a statement.

“Several days ago, he started acting erratically, as a result of smoking pot,” they told KITV.com. The Gabbards alleged their son had been sleeping on the streets after his wife kicked him out of his house in the days leading up to the incident.

“He gave away his car to a homeless person; lost his ID and phone and has no money. He’s renamed himself, Batarti, and also Jim Morrison Jr., as he’s having delusions of being a rock star,” they added.

The state senator and his wife said a family member took Gabbard to receive a psychological evaluation at Queen’s Hospital on Saturday.

“Bhakti told the doctor they would find cocaine, ice and pot in his blood tests. And this evening, he was admitted for a 72-hour hold at Queen’s, while they continue to monitor him and decide next steps,” they said.

Gabbard’s sister, 45-year-old Tulsi Gabbard, could not be reached for comment.

This isn’t the first time the Gabbard family has made headlines since Gabbard announced her resignation from Trump’s Cabinet in May.

Last month, a Washington Post report revealed the scope of the relationship between Tulsi Gabbard’s family and Chris Butler, 78, the leader of an alt-right sect of Hinduism, the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF). For decades, Mike and Carol Gabbard have remained disciples of Butler, with the state senator overseeing Butler’s personal affairs at one point.

The yearslong investigation by The Washington Post unearthed a trove of emails, shared documents, and talking points among advisers to Gabbard, her father, and Butler’s inner circle, as he appeared to push his own agenda through Gabbard.

Between 2014 and 2016, the Post found dozens of instances in which Gabbard, then a sitting congresswoman, echoed either the exact talking points outlined in SIF directives or similar ones in interviews and policy memos. Additionally, an analysis of her voting record in the House was strikingly similar to the directives she was allegedly receiving from Butler himself.

Those close to Butler repeatedly denied he was behind the directives in statements to the Post.