~ Republican Forum ~ Tulsi Gabbard endorses Trump ~

Gabbard, a National Guard veteran who served two tours in the Middle East before representing Hawaii in the U.S. House, joined Trump in Detroit on Monday. During the event, Gabbard emphasized that Trump “understands the grave responsibility that a president and commander in chief bears for every single one of our lives.”

The two appeared together at the National Guard Association of the United States on the third anniversary of the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans. Earlier in the day, Gabbard accompanied Trump to Arlington National Cemetery, where he laid wreaths in honor of three of the fallen service members: Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.

Later on Monday, Trump’s campaign announced that Gabbard would moderate a town hall event with him scheduled for Thursday in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Gabbard has previously shown some support for Trump, even while serving as a Democrat in the U.S. House. In 2019, she was the only lawmaker to vote “present” during Trump’s impeachment over his dealings with Ukraine.

Throughout her four terms in the House, Gabbard often took stances that conflicted with her party’s mainstream. She gained popularity among progressives for her early and vocal support of Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 Democratic presidential primary campaign.

In 2020, Gabbard chose not to seek reelection and instead ran for president, criticizing U.S. military interventions in the Middle East for destabilizing the region, making the U.S. less safe, and causing significant loss of American lives. She also criticized Harris’ record during a primary debate, ultimately outlasting her in a race that President Joe Biden eventually won.

Gabbard endorsed Biden but left the Democratic Party two years later, condemning it as an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and “woke” ideologues. Since then, she has campaigned for several prominent Republicans, become a Fox News contributor, and launched a podcast.

Recently, another former Democratic presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., endorsed Trump. Last week, Kennedy, who had been running as an independent after challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination, suspended his campaign and announced his support for Trump in the general election.