Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has thrown her support behind Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, deepening her break from the party she sought to lead just four years ago.
Aligning herself with the GOP nominee, she echoed his critiques of Vice President Kamala Harris and the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Gabbard, a National Guard veteran with two Middle East tours, appeared alongside Trump in Detroit on Monday. She emphasized that Trump “understands the grave responsibility that a president and commander-in-chief bears for every single one of our lives.”
The two attended an event at the National Guard Association of the United States on the third anniversary of the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans.
Earlier that day, Gabbard joined Trump at Arlington National Cemetery, where he laid wreaths to honor three of the fallen service members—Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.
During her speech, Gabbard commended Trump for “having the courage to meet with adversaries, dictators, allies and partners alike in the pursuit of peace, seeing war as a last resort.”
She criticized the current Democratic administration, warning that the U.S. is “facing multiple wars on multiple fronts in regions around the world and closer to the brink of nuclear war than we ever have been before.”
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Gabbard’s support for Trump is not entirely new; even during her time in the House as a Democrat, she showed signs of alignment with the former president. Notably, in 2019, she was the only representative to vote “present” during Trump’s impeachment over his dealings with Ukraine.
Her endorsement of Trump marks a significant departure from her earlier role as a Democratic representative for Hawaii. Throughout her four terms, Gabbard often took positions that diverged from her party’s mainstream.
She was an early and outspoken supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders during the 2016 Democratic primary, earning her favor with progressive voters.
After opting not to seek reelection in 2020, Gabbard launched her own presidential campaign, focusing on the detrimental effects of U.S. wars in the Middle East.
She argued that these conflicts had destabilized the region, made the U.S. less secure, and caused significant American casualties, placing blame on both Democrats and Republicans.
During a primary debate, she sharply criticized Harris’ record, and outlasted her in the race that ultimately saw Joe Biden emerge as the Democratic nominee.
Though Gabbard endorsed Biden, she left the Democratic Party two years later, condemning it as an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and “woke” ideologues. Since then, she has supported several high-profile Republicans, become a Fox News contributor, and launched a podcast.
In a similar vein, another former Democratic presidential candidate recently endorsed Trump. Last week, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had initially run as a Democrat challenging President Biden, suspended his campaign and announced his support for Trump in the general election.
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