Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman who became a favorite of Fox News audiences, announced Monday that she was endorsing former President Donald Trump and vowed to do everything she can to secure his election.
Appearing on stage with the former president in Detroit, he said Trump offered the best chance of moving the country back from the “brink of nuclear war.”
This comes shortly after the Trump campaign recruited her to help with debate preparation.
And it cements a remarkable record for an Iraq war veteran who was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party.
On Monday, Gabbard highlighted Trump’s record in the White House as a moment of peace.
Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman who became a favorite of Fox News audiences, announced Monday that she was endorsing former President Donald Trump and vowed to do everything she can to secure his election.
“He exercised the courage we expect from our commander in chief, exhausting all measures of diplomacy, having the courage to meet with adversaries, dictators, allies and partners alike in pursuit of peace, viewing war as a last resort,” he said.
The opposite was true under the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris, he added.
“This administration has us facing multiple wars on multiple fronts and regions around the world, and closer to the brink of nuclear war than ever before,” he said.
‘This is one of the key reasons I’m committed to doing everything I can to send President Trump back to the White House, where he can once again serve us as our commander in chief.’
He appeared alongside Trump at the National Guard Association of the United States on the third anniversary of the suicide bombing at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, which killed 13 US service members.
She earlier accompanied him to Arlington National Cemetery, where Trump laid wreaths in honor of three of the fallen servicemen: Sergeant Nicole Gee, Sergeant Darin Hoover and Sergeant Ryan Knauss.
He later called on voters of all stripes to support Trump’s campaign.
“I’m proud to stand before you today, whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, if you love our country as I do, if you cherish peace and freedom as we do, I invite you to join me in doing everything we can to save our country and elect President Donald J. Trump and send him back to the White House to do the hard work of saving our country and serving the people,” she said.
Trump thanked him for his support.
—Well, thanks, Tulsi. I heard that might happen, but I wasn’t sure, he said.
Gabbard appeared alongside the former president at the 146th General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States.
Trump stands with Bill Barnett (left), whose grandson, Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, was killed in the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
“And this happened because she is a truly amazing, truly amazing person. So I’m looking forward to working with Tulsi and everyone, everyone in this room.”
Gabbard, a National Guard veteran, ran for president in 2019. She had a memorable clash with Harris as they battled for the Democratic nomination, which was ultimately won by Joe Biden.
His campaign ran on a platform that criticized U.S. intervention in the Middle East, saying it made the country less safe, and placed blame on both Republicans and Democrats.
It was typical of a politician who became known for taking idiosyncratic positions during her time as representative of Hawaii.
In 2019, she was the only lawmaker to vote “present” during Trump’s highly partisan first impeachment trial.
She drew widespread criticism for meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017 and touring the city of Aleppo, which had been reduced to rubble by his forces during a brutal civil war.
