Current:Home > MyTulsi Gabbard, who ran for 2020 Democratic nomination, endorses Trump against former foe Harris -WealthRoots Academy
Tulsi Gabbard, who ran for 2020 Democratic nomination, endorses Trump against former foe Harris
View
Date:2025-04-12 22:39:41
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential bid, furthering her shift away from the party she sought to represent four years ago and linking herself to the GOP nominee’s critiques of Vice President Kamala Harris and the chaotic Afghanistan War withdrawal.
Appearing Monday with Trump in Detroit, Gabbard, a National Guard veteran who served two tours of duty in the Middle East, said that the GOP nominee “understands the grave responsibility that a president and commander in chief bears for every single one of our lives.”
The pair appeared at the National Guard Association of the United States on the third anniversary of the Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 100 Afghans. Gabbard accompanied Trump earlier Monday to Arlington National Cemetery, when the former president laid wreaths in honor of three of the slain service members — Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.
On Monday, Gabbard praised 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 condemned the Democratic White House for the U.S. now “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.”
Gabbard has long signaled some level of support for Trump, even while she sat in the U.S. House as a Democrat. In 2019, she was the only lawmaker to vote “present” when the House of Representatives impeached Trump for his dealings with Ukraine.
Gabbard’s endorsement of the rival nominee to her former party represents a polar swing from her position as a Democrat representing Hawaii in the U.S. House, although Gabbard was known during her four terms for taking positions at odds with her own party’s establishment. She was an early and vocal supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 Democratic presidential primary run, which made her popular with progressives.
Not seeking reelection in 2020, Gabbard ran for president herself instead, saying U.S. wars in the Middle East destabilized the region, made the U.S. less safe and cost thousands of American lives, and that Democrats and Republicans shared the blame. She tore into Harris’ record during a primary debate and ultimately outlasted her in that race, which President Joe Biden ultimately won.
Gabbard endorsed Biden but became an independent two years later, saying the Democratic Party was dominated by an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and “woke” ideologues. In the years since she has campaigned for several high-profile Republicans, become a contributor to Fox News and started a podcast.
Another former Democratic presidential contender also just recently endorsed Trump. Last week, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who last year ran as a Democrat challenging President Joe Biden for the nomination — suspended his campaign and said he was backing Trump in the general election.
___
Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP. McAvoy reported from Honolulu, Hawaii.
veryGood! (74424)
Related
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Barney the purple dinosaur is coming back with a new show — and a new look
- Small Nuclear Reactors Would Provide Carbon-Free Energy, but Would They Be Safe?
- Get to Net-Zero by Mid-Century? Even Some Global Oil and Gas Giants Think it Can Be Done
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- DNA from pizza crust linked Gilgo Beach murders suspect to victim, court documents say
- What to know about the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio
- During February’s Freeze in Texas, Refineries and Petrochemical Plants Released Almost 4 Million Pounds of Extra Pollutants
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- André Leon Talley's belongings, including capes and art, net $3.5 million at auction
Ranking
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Former NFL players are suing the league over denied disability benefits
- 20,000 roses, inflation and night terrors: the life of a florist on Valentine's Day
- More than 300,000 bottles of Starbucks bottled Frappuccinos have been recalled
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Titanic Sub Search: Details About Missing Hamish Harding’s Past Exploration Experience Revealed
- Republicans Seize the ‘Major Questions Doctrine’ to Block Biden’s Climate Agenda
- Suspect charged in Gilgo Beach serial killings cold case that rocked Long Island
Recommendation
South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
Titanic Submersible Disappearance: Debris Found in Search Area
Renting a home may be more financially prudent than buying one, experts say
A New Program Like FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps Could Help the Nation Fight Climate Change and Transition to Renewable Energy
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
And Just Like That's David Eigenberg Reveals Most Surprising Supporter of Justice for Steve
Temple University cuts tuition and health benefits for striking graduate students
Bachelor Fans Will Want to Steal Jason Tartick and Kaitlyn Bristowe's Date Night Ideas for a Sec