Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard has endorsed Donald Trump's He has distanced himself from the party he attempted to represent four years ago and aligned himself with it in his quest for the presidential nomination. Criticism of GOP candidate Vice President's Kamala Harris and the chaotic withdrawal from the Afghanistan war.
Appearing with Trump on Monday in Detroit, Gabbard, a National Guard veteran who has twice served in the Middle East, said the GOP candidate “understands the grave responsibility a president and commander-in-chief has for the lives of each and every one of us.”
The pair appeared at the United States National Guard Association's third anniversary. August 26, 2021, suicide bombing The attack on the Hamid Karzai International Airport killed 13 US servicemen and more than 100 Afghans. Gabbard accompanied Trump to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, where the former president laid a wreath in honor of three of the slain servicemen – Staff Sergeant Nicole Gee, Staff Sergeant Darin Hoover and Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss.
On Monday, Gabbard praised Trump for having “the courage to meet adversaries, dictators, allies, and partners alike in pursuit of peace while viewing war as a last resort.” She denounced the Democratic White House because the US now “faces multiple wars on multiple fronts in regions around the world and is closer to the brink of nuclear war than ever before.”
The former president's team announced Monday that Gabbard will moderate a town hall with Trump on Thursday in La Crosse, Wisconsin, that is being planned by the campaign.
Gabbard has long indicated some degree of support for Trump, even when she sat in the US House as a Democrat. In 2019, she was the only lawmaker to voice support for Trump. Vote “Present” When the House of Representatives impeached Trump over his dealings with Ukraine.
Gabbard's endorsement of a rival candidate from her former party represents a polar shift from her position as a Democrat representing Hawaii in the U.S. House, though Gabbard was known for taking positions at odds with her own party's establishment during her four terms. She was an early and vocal supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders' 2016 Democratic presidential primary, making her popular among progressives.
Rather than run for re-election in 2020, Gabbard considered running for president herself, saying U.S. wars in the Middle East have destabilized the region, made the U.S. less safe and cost thousands of American lives, and that both Democrats and Republicans are responsible. Harris' record torn up She was the top vote-getter during the primary debates and ultimately finished ahead of him in the race that President Joe Biden ultimately won.
Gabbard endorses Biden But became independent Two years later he said the Democratic Party was dominated by an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and “woke” ideologues. In the years that followed, he Campaigned for several high-profile RepublicansBecame a contributor to Fox News and started a podcast.
Another former Democratic presidential contender has also recently endorsed Trump. Last week, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who ran as a Democrat last year, challenging President Joe Biden for the nomination — suspended his campaign and said he would support Trump in the general election.
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Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP. McAvoy reported from Honolulu, Hawaii.