Tulsi Gabbard: 5 Things To Know About The Former Hawaii Rep. Leaving Democratic Party

• Tulsi Gabbard was a congresswoman representing Hawaii for 4 terms
• Gabbard ran for president successful 2020 and aboriginal endorsed Joe Biden
• Gabbard announced she was leaving the Democratic enactment successful a video connection successful October 2022.

Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, 41, announced that she was parting ways with the Democratic Party successful a video connection posted connected her Twitter connected Tuesday, October 11. The 2020 statesmanlike campaigner gave a agelong database of reasons wherefore she was leaving, and portion she offered talking points, she did not supply circumstantial examples of the things she was accusing the Democratic enactment of doing.  “I tin nary longer stay successful today’s Democratic enactment that’s nether the implicit power of an elitist cabal of warmongers, who are driven by cowardly woke-ness, who disagreement america by racializing each contented and stoking anti-white racism, who actively enactment to undermine our God-given freedoms that are enshrined successful our Constitution, who are hostile to radical of religion and spirituality, who demonize the constabulary but support criminals astatine the disbursal of law-abiding Americans, who judge successful unfastened borders, who weaponize the nationalist information authorities to spell aft their governmental opponents, and supra all, who are dragging america ever person to atomic war,” she said.

After listing her reasons, Gabbard called connected much Democrats to besides divided from their party. “I judge successful a authorities that’s of the people, by the people, and for the people. Unfortunately, today’s Democratic enactment does not. Instead, it stands for a authorities that is of, by, and for the almighty elite. Now, I’m calling connected my chap communal sense, independent-minded Democrats to articulation maine successful leaving the Democratic party,” she said. Find retired much astir the erstwhile congresswoman here.

Gabbard gives a code astatine CPAC. (Shutterstock)

1. She’ was the archetypal Hindu and Samoan congressperson successful US history

Gabbard is from Leloaloa, a tiny colony connected Tutuila Island successful American Samoa. She became the archetypal Samoan subordinate of Congress successful 2012, and represented Hawaii’s 2nd territory for 4 terms. She did not question re-election successful 2020 owed to her statesmanlike run. Gabbard was raised successful a multi-faith household practicing some Christian and Hinduism, and is the archetypal Hindu congressperson, arsenic well. Along with Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, she’s the archetypal pistillate combat seasoned ever elected to Congress — and now, the archetypal pistillate combat seasoned to tally for president.

Since leaving Congress, Gabbard has started a podcast called The Tulsi Gabbard Show, and she’s besides made appearances connected Fox News and comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast. She besides spoke astatine the Republican league CPAC successful February 2022.

2. She made past arsenic the youngest idiosyncratic to beryllium elected successful Hawaii’s authorities legislature

Gabbard was conscionable 21 years aged erstwhile she joined the Hawaii House of Representatives successful 2002, remaining successful the bureau for 2 years. If she wins the 2020 election, she would beryllium the youngest president successful United States history, astatine 39 years old. The youngest president truthful acold was Theodore Roosevelt, who was 42.

3. She’s a combat veteran

She near the Hawaii State House of Representatives successful 2004 to deploy with the Hawaii National Guard successful a aesculapian portion to Iraq. She volunteered for different deployment successful 2008, that clip arsenic a “military constabulary platoon person grooming counterterrorism units,” per a illustration from The Atlantic. In betwixt the deployments, she graduated astatine the apical of her people from an Officer Candidate School successful Alabama.

Gabbard speaks astatine a Washington D.C. rally. (Shutterstock)

4. She ran for president successful 2020

Long earlier she near the Democratic party, Gabbard was connected the superior summons successful the 2020 predetermination successful an effort to tally against then-President Donald Trump. The Democratic typical from Hawaii made the announcement connected Jan. 11, 2019, telling CNN’s Van Jones, “I person decided to tally and volition beryllium making a ceremonial announcement wrong the adjacent week…There are a batch of reasons for maine to marque this decision. There are a batch of challenges that are facing the American radical that I’m acrophobic astir and that I privation to assistance solve.”

She explained that her cardinal issues that her run focused connected included healthcare, transgression justness betterment and clime change. “There is 1 main contented that is cardinal to the rest, and that is the contented of warfare and peace,” Gabbard said during her announcement connected CNN. “I look guardant to being capable to get into this and to speech astir it successful depth.”

5. She was the Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee until resigning

Gabbard gave up the presumption to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders’ bid for the 2016 statesmanlike race. After resigning and supporting the Vermont senator, Tulsi aboriginal ran against Sanders successful the 2020 election.

Important announcement.
From Oahu, Hawaiʻi. #StandWithTulsi pic.twitter.com/XcHshtgVYA

— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) March 19, 2020

After they some dropped out, they each endorsed President Joe Biden. “It’s wide that Democratic superior voters person chosen Vice President Joe Biden to beryllium the idiosyncratic who volition instrumentality connected President Trump successful the wide election,” she said successful a March 2019 announcement video. “I’m assured that helium volition pb our country, guided by the tone of aloha respect and compassion, and frankincense assistance heal the divisiveness that has been tearing our state apart.”