
(DailyChive.com) – At a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, Tulsi Gabbard—former Democratic congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate—officially announced that she is joining the Republican Party and backing Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. The event, held in a key swing state, saw Gabbard take the stage to express her support for Trump and the direction of the GOP.
Gabbard, who had already been working with the Trump campaign as an honorary co-chair of his transition team, stood alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., another former Democrat now aligned with the Trump movement.
“I’m proud to stand here today, President Trump, and say that I’m joining the Republican Party,” Gabbard told the crowd. “This is the party of the people, the party of peace, and the party that stands for equality. It’s the party that was founded to end slavery and bring freedom.”
Trump welcomed her announcement warmly. “Wow, that was a surprise,” Trump said. “Tulsi’s been independent for a long time, and it’s an honor to have her here with us.”
Gabbard’s shift to the GOP is just the latest turn in her political journey. Once a rising star in the Democratic Party, she served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee before resigning in 2016 to endorse Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. During her 2020 presidential run, Gabbard made headlines for her sharp criticism of Kamala Harris, slamming her record as a prosecutor and California attorney general for unfairly targeting low-level marijuana offenders and supporting harmful cash bail practices.
By 2022, Gabbard had grown disillusioned with the Democrats and officially left the party, declaring herself an independent. Since then, she’s been active on the conservative speaking circuit and launched a podcast where she discusses politics and policy issues from her evolving perspective.
During the Greensboro rally, Gabbard emphasized her belief that Trump’s leadership has reshaped the Republican Party into one that better reflects the values of ordinary Americans. “This is the party of common sense,” she said. “And Trump is the kind of leader who fights for peace and puts people first.”
Gabbard, who represented Hawaii’s 2nd District in Congress from 2013 to 2021, also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Her endorsement adds to the growing list of former Democrats now publicly backing Trump as he makes his bid for a second term in the White House.
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