Hindu American Tulsi Gabbard Advising Trump on Foreign Policy Matters, Hopes to Be His Running Mate
- An outspoken critic of aid to Ukraine and U.S. military interventions overseas, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, says sheâs open to a âconversationâ about becoming the former presidentâs running mate.
Former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and the first Hindu American in Congress, is counseling Trump on foreign policy matters. The discussions between the two included âpolicy proposals, military entanglements overseas, and how the Defense Department should be run in a second Trump term,â The Washington Post reported. âThe talks are part of a broader conversation about how Trump would manage the Pentagon differently if voters award him a second term.â The two have met in person at least once last year, the report added.
Gabbard, who served in the House from 2013 to the end of 2020, ran an unsuccessful White House campaign in the 2020 Democratic primary. She has a sizable following among those who identify themselves as Hindu Americans and is said to have close ties with Prime Minister Modi. Gabbard enjoys strong support from several Hindu organizations including the Hindu American Foundation.
An outspoken critic of aid to Ukraine and U.S. military interventions overseas, she has âoften shared Trumpâs approach toward the world in his post-presidency,â The Post said. The publication also also noted that Trump advisers hope Gabbard â who serves in the Army Reserve â âcould appeal to independent voters in a general election, and advocate his military policies.â
In April 2003, while serving in the Hawaii State Legislature, she enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard. In July 2004, she was deployed for a 12-month tour in Iraq, serving as a specialist with the Medical Company, 29th Support Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Last week, she surprised many by saying on âFox & Friendsâ that sheâd be âopenâ to a âconversationâ about becoming Trumpâs next vice president. âI’d be open to that conversation,â she said. “My mission in life is to serve our country and serve the American people and find the best way to be able to do that.â There were also rumors floating that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was considering her as her running mate.
âA Trump/Tulsi ticket would dominate in 2024 even with RFK Jr. and his running mate in the picture,â read a post on X by End Tribalism in Politics. âTulsi being a former Democrat would pull in many former Democrats along with moderates which is a spot that Trump lacks.â But this should worry RFK Jr.âs campaign, the post added. âRFK Jrâs campaign team should also be worried if this occurs. With many RFK Jr. followers wanting him to pick Tulsi as his running mate this would be a huge blow to him since she would without a doubt pull a good amount of voters from him.â
Last month, she inked a deal with Elon Musk to host a show on X. Her new show will be a series of documentary-style videos and broader content. âWe will be bringing you stories & news about the truth of whatâs happening in our country and world but that those in power donât what you hear, and a series of short films that share the stories of those most impacted, but whose voices are silenced,â she wrote in a post on X.
She left the Democratic party in 2021, accusing it of being âunder complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers who are driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue and stoking anti-white racism.â
Since then, she made a short-lived podcast last year, and signed a deal with Fox News as a contributor in 2022, appearing on a variety of shows. But even before this deal, she was a fixture on Fox News, attacking Democrats since long before she left its ranks. She has repeatedly criticized the Democrats, including President Biden. She once called Hillary Clinton the âembodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long,â according to Reuters. She endorsed Sen. Bernie Sandersâ run against Clinton for the 2016 presidential party nomination and briefly ran herself for the 2020 election before dropping out and backing Biden.
Last October, she released a memoir titled âFor Love of Country: Why I Left the Democratic Party,â In the book, she âcalls on those who love America to protect our rights from those who are seeking to undermine them at every turn. Itâs time to say goodbye to the Democratic Party.â