DETROIT — Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) formally endorsed former President Donald Trump on Monday, touting the Republican nominee’s experience as commander-in-chief.
Gabbard, a decorated military veteran, made the surprise announcement during Trump’s appearance at a National Guard conference in Detroit, hours after the 45th president attended a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery with families of some of the 13 servicemembers who perished during the botched Afghanistan withdrawal three years ago.
“She’s a special person,” Trump praised Gabbard, 43, by way of introduction. “She’s got great common sense, great spirit. She loves our country and she loves the people in this room.”
The former congresswoman unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 before formally leaving the party in 2022.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, looks on as former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, speaks at the National Guard Association. AP
“I am proud to stand here before you today, whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or an independent,” Gabbard said.
“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 all that we can to save our country and elect President Donald J. Trump and send him back to the White House to do the tough work of saving our country and serving the people.”
Trump, 78, has tapped Gabbard to help him prep for a scheduled Sept. 10 debate against Harris — hoping to repeat the Hawaiian’s performance during a 2019 Democratic primary forum.
Trump made his remarks after being introduced by Kid Rock. AP
Tuldi Gabbard has been working with Trump on debate prep. AP
In that debate, Gabbard launched a blistering attack on the future veep’s record as California’s attorney general.
“Sen. Harris says she’s proud of her record as a prosecutor and that she’ll be a prosecutor president, but I’m deeply concerned about this record,” Gabbard said at the July 31, 2019, showdown, also held in Detroit.
“There are too many examples to cite, but she put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.”
The takedown was widely credited with sinking Harris’ popularity among soft-on-crime lefties and contributing to the Californian’s withdrawal from the primary before a single vote had been cast.
On Monday, Gabbard said that Trump “understands the grave responsibility that a president and commander in chief bears for every single one of our lives, whether you’re a soldier, you’re an airman, a Marine sailor or a Coastie, he keeps us in his heart, in the decisions that he makes,” Gabbard said.
“We saw this through his first term in the presidency, when he not only didn’t start any new wars, he took action to de-escalate and prevent wars. He exercised the courage that we expect from our commander in chief in exhausting all measures of diplomacy, having the courage to meet with adversaries, dictators, allies and partners alike in the pursuit of peace, seeing war as a last resort.”
Before her election to Congress in 2012, Gabbard served two tours of duty in the Middle East while enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard.
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