Tulsi Gabbard announced Tuesday night she is officially joining the Republican Party as she continues stumping for former president Donald Trump on the campaign trail two weeks out from the November election.
Gabbard left the Democratic Party to become an independent in October 2022 and endorsed Trump in August after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also a Democrat-turned-independent, ended his longshot presidential campaign and threw his support behind the GOP nominee.
“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,” Gabbard said at a rally in Greensboro, N.C., “that I’m proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I’m joining the Republican Party.”
The move seemed to surprise Trump as he appeared on stage. After her speech, Trump said he “didn’t know” Gabbard had decided to join the Republican Party.
“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,” she said in explaining her decision. “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.”
In her leadup to the big announcement, Gabbard slammed her former party and Vice President Kamala Harris for being “anti-freedom,” “pro-censorship,” “pro-open borders,” and “pro-war.” She also criticized Harris for “shamelessly” accepting endorsements from “warmongers” like Dick and Liz Cheney, reiterating that a second Trump presidency represents peace. Trump has vowed to end the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Before making the switch, Gabbard served as a U.S. representative for Hawaii from 2013 to 2021 and ran for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election.
After endorsing the former president two months ago, the former Democratic presidential candidate advised Trump ahead of his September 10 debate with Harris. Gabbard herself debated Harris, pointing out her record on criminal prosecutions as a California prosecutor, in a 2019 exchange that went viral.
“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,” Gabbard said of Harris then. “She blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row until the courts forced her to do so. She kept people in prison beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor for the state of California, and she fought to keep [a] cash-bail system in place that impacts poor people in the worst kind of way.”
Gabbard and Kennedy, both of whom could have potential roles in a second Trump administration, were tapped to join his presidential transition team should he be reelected next month.