Posted on 10/22/2024 9:40:41 PM PDT by lightman
On Tuesday night, while campaigning for former and potentially future President Donald Trump in North Carolina, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announced that she was joining the Republican Party. She had served as a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District from 2013-2021 and even ran for president in 2020. She left the Democratic Party to become an Independent in October 2022, however, and has now since become a Republican.
While such an announcement came on Tuesday, as Gabbard joined Trump at the podium in Greensboro, she had endorsed him in August. This is also around the time when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump.
Decked out in red, Gabbard shared that "it is because of my love for our country--and specifically, because of the leadership that President Trump has brought to transform the Republican Party and bring it back to the party of the people and the party of peace--that I'm proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I'm joining the Republican Party," to applause from the audience.
"I'm joining the party of the people, the party of equality, the party that was founded to fight against and end slavery in this country. It is the party of common sense and the party that is led by a president who has the courage and strength to fight for peace," she continued.
Gabbard has come a long way in just a few short years as a Democrat to an Independent, to now a Republican. She and both RFK are also on the Trump transition team. Gabbard herself ran in the Democratic primary in 2020 to run against Trump for that cycle.
Although she lost the nomination, President Joe Biden, Gabbard at least remained in the race longer than Vice President Kamala Harris did for her presidential run in 2020, as Harris dropped out in December 2019, before any primary votes were cast. What debates Gabbard and Harris both participated in were notable for Gabbard going after Harris for her lack of progressive policies as a prosecutor on criminal justice reform.
More recently, Gabbard also took to X in July to savage Harris for going after Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and questioning his loyalty. Both Gabbard and Vance have served.
Harris, meanwhile, has been campaigning with former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who, as Trump reminded on Tuesday night and has repeatedly reminded, has views at odds with the Muslim community that Harris has been desperately trying to court. Cheney's views stand in particularly stark contrast to Gabbard on foreign policy.
"Her father," Trump said, speaking about former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has also endorsed Harris, "brought years of war and death to the Middle East. He killed many Arabs, many many Arabs, Muslims, and now Lyin' Kamala has embraced Liz Cheney. She embraced her. And why would, why would a Muslim or an Arab want to vote for somebody who has Liz Cheney as her hero?"
Trump, after emphasizing what a "failed politician" Liz Cheney is, brought it back to Harris once more, as he offered that her closeness with Cheney "is a great insult to Muslims all over the world, and I think she's going to do very badly in Michigan."
Tulsi, welcome to REAL America!
I registered to vote as a Democrat as soon as I could before my 18th birthday.
Took me a decade and a half or so to see the light.
I think I am in excellent company.
Ronaldus Magnus, RFK Jr., and now Tulsi.
>> “Bout time. Tulsi, welcome to REAL America!
Amen. And I thank GOD for raising up intelligent, articulate *former left leaners* who learn and embrace the truth and join the Truth Team at whatever personal cost doing so requires.
The list of these folks is long, and growing:
Tulsi Gabbard
RFK Jr.
Matt Taibbi
Naomi Wolf
JD Vance!
Vivek Ramaswamy
Elon Musk
Nikki Haley (sort of)
I’m gonna stop here, feel free to add whomever I have forgotten.
Ronald Wilson Reagan aka Ronaldus Magnus
>> Ronald Wilson Reagan aka Ronaldus Magnus
YES INDEED! A very important addition to the list. Thank you!
I grew up with the kids chanting “Rat, rat Democrat” so I naturally registered as a Republican.
Tulsi, welcome aboard!
Here’s two former lefties: President Donald John Trump. Ben Carson.
There are no zealots like converts.
Just listened to her 2+ hour interview with Tucker on YouTube.
She was beyond eloquent. She is a very common sense, patriotic, logical, grounded in reality, woman. Her career will take her a long way. I was really impressed.
And, she is easy on the eyes.
Welcome home, Tulsi! Aloha
Maybe she can deliver Hawaii.
I think there is less hope for Hawaii than California.
It’s worse than California and they are even more ambivalent about the conditions than people of CA.
I still do that most days.
Hawaii is a lost cause
I’m glad she’s coming over to the right side.
It’s just that she had such a radical, leftist platform, when she ran for Congress.
Either she believes all those things, or she’s totally flip-flopped on 8 key issues facing the country.
While that is possible, it’s not likely.
A Conservative respects & defends the Constitution, not with “today’s flavor” added.
Ban Assault Weapons
Ban Fossil Fuels
Yes to Reparations
Citizenship for Dreamers
End the Electoral College
No Nuclear Energy
No limits on Abortion
Medicare for All
These were all on her campaign literature.
Until she publicly states her unwavering support for the 2nd Amendment, I’ll remain skeptical.
Trust, but verfiy!
that hottie needs to hit the campaign trail.
I don’t trust her as most of her policies were very commie. SO she’ll need to explain why and how she changed political philosophy.
from wiki so it might not be true but i do remember she was mainline commie as a rep.
political positions were broadly similar to those of contenders on health care, climate, education, infrastructure, and criminal justice reform,
During her early years in Congress, Gabbard had a 100% voting record with both Planned Parenthood and NARAL,[184] though she supported regulating abortions during the third trimester of pregnancy, stating
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