Ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard endorses Donald Trump in 2024 presidential race | US elections 2024

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, has endorsed the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, within the US presidential election.

Gabbard, who served within the navy in Iraq, ran for president within the Democratic major in 2020. She give up the social gathering two years later and has change into a fixture at conservative conferences and in rightwing media.

Addressing a Nationwide Guard Affiliation convention in Detroit, Michigan, the place Trump was talking, Gabbard mentioned: “This administration has us going through a number of wars on a number of fronts in areas around the globe and nearer to the brink of nuclear struggle than we ever have been earlier than.

“This is among the most important the explanation why I’m dedicated to doing all that I can to ship President Trump again to the White Home, the place he can as soon as once more serve us as our commander-in-chief. As a result of I’m assured that his first process shall be to do the work to stroll us again from the brink of struggle.”

Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress and is a former vice-chair of the Democratic Nationwide Committee, accused the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, of retaliating towards political opponents, undermining civil liberties and weaponising America’s establishments towards each Trump and herself.

“We as Individuals should stand collectively to reject this anti-freedom tradition of political retaliation and abuse of energy,” she added.

Gabbard’s announcement comes a day after Robert F Kennedy Jr, scion of a Democratic dynasty, suspended his personal White Home bid and threw his weight behind Trump. Elon Musk, who describes himself as “traditionally a average Democrat”, can also be backing the previous president.

Democrats dismissed Gabbard’s endorsement. Alex Floyd, speedy response director for the Democratic Nationwide Committee, mentioned: “Donald Trump’s Maga model is so poisonous that he’s resorted to touting assist from off-putting extremists like RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard and Trump have lots in widespread – they’ve each earned the praises of white supremacists and different extremists, celebrated the overturning of Roe v Wade and campaigned for harmful election deniers.”

Trump, who has been portraying Harris as a leftwing extremist, advised the gathering on Monday: “This combat is not between Democrats and Republicans. This can be a combat between communism and freedom.

“It’s a really severe combat. That’s why hundreds of thousands of conventional Democrats, together with FDR Democrats, JFK Democrats, independents and old style liberals are becoming a member of our motion. Our ballot numbers are nice.”

Trump admitted that he had not been conscious that Gabbard served as a lieutenant-colonel within the military. “She’s a particular individual,” he added. “She’s bought nice widespread sense, nice spirit. She loves our nation and she or he loves the individuals on this room.”

Not too long ago Gabbard has been serving to Trump put together for subsequent month’s televised presidential debate towards Harris. In 2020 she took Harris to process on the talk stage over her document as a prosecutor – a clip that also circulates in rightwing media.

Trump, who earlier laid wreaths throughout a ceremony at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery, was marking the third anniversary of a suicide bombing that killed 13 US service members through the withdrawal from Afghanistan. “The humiliation in Afghanistan set off the collapse of American credibility and respect all around the globe,” he mentioned in Detroit, in search of guilty Harris and Joe Biden for the deaths.

In her personal assertion marking the anniversary of the Kabul airport assault, Harris mentioned she mourns the 13 service members who had been killed. “My prayers are with their households and family members,” she added. “My coronary heart breaks for his or her ache and their loss.”