Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is seeking the job of defense secretary after switching parties to support Trump

Former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is seeking to become defense secretary in President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet, The Post has learned.

The Pentagon post is at the top of Gabbard's wish list, four sources told The Post on Tuesday, but the soon-to-be 47th president has not yet made his final decision.

A GOP insider said Gabbard “will privately petition Trump early this week” to become defense secretary, although the source added that the 43-year-old could also be interested in becoming CIA director.

A source close to the transition told the Post that Gabbard, who serves as an adviser to that team, is likely interested in the Defense post — but faces competition from former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, who leads the Pentagon transition team.

That source said Gabbard would be “much better” than the “weak” Wilkie, whose tenure in the first Trump administration was marred by allegations that he mishandled a sexual assault report while he was undersecretary of state for personnel and readiness at the Pentagon – the office that handles the Department of Defense's sexual assault prevention and policy matters.

Other candidates for defense secretary include Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who has gained popularity in military circles through his close work with the Pentagon on defense legislation, and Mike Rogers (R-Ala., chairman of the Armed Services Committee House of Representatives). .), Republican sources told The Post.

Gabbard became an honorary member of Trump's transition team after supporting the former president during his re-election campaign and switching her affiliation to the Republican Party.

She has been a member of the National Guard since 2003 and has deployed to Iraq, Kuwait and the Horn of Africa.

But that could pose an obstacle to her serving Trump because federal law says a defense secretary must not have served on active duty in the armed forces for at least seven years before taking office – a provision intended to ensure that a civilian military leader .

If Gabbard is nominated to lead the Pentagon, Congress would have to approve a waiver that overrides the seven-year rule – a consideration that Trump's first defense secretary, James Mattis, recently extended; and current Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Although Gabbard was a former Democrat, her potential nomination sparked widespread enthusiasm among some of the most conservative members of Trump's first administration because of her foreign policy views, namely avoiding new wars and ending existing ones.

John McEntee, who led the White House Presidential Personnel Office, which makes personnel decisions in the administration, during the final year of Trump's first term, said Gabbard was an excellent choice.

“It would be cool to have someone less combative in the Cabinet,” said McEntee, who became a Tiktok star and co-founder of the dating app during the Trump interregnum.

“Ultimately, Donald Trump will make the decision he believes is best, and we should trust his judgment.”