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SCREEN CAPTURE / KTVU
Hawaii's Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joins the presidential race in 2020. |
Casting herself as an outsider, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-HI, officially kicked off her campaign for president Saturday (Feb. 2) at a rally on the island of Oahu where she spoke strongly about her anti-war political positions and past service in Iraq.
"We must stand up... against powerful politicians from both parties who sit in ivory towers thinking up new wars to wage (and) new places for people to die," Gabbard said to her supporters gathered on the Great Lawn of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Gabbard, a Samoan American and the first Hindu follower elected to Congress, said she "will end the regime change wars that have taken far too many lives and undermined our security by strengthening terrorist groups like al Qaeda."
She leaned heavily into her military experience having served tours in Iraq and Kuwait.
"We must stand up... against powerful politicians from both parties who sit in ivory towers thinking up new wars to wage (and) new places for people to die," Gabbard said to her supporters gathered on the Great Lawn of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Gabbard, a Samoan American and the first Hindu follower elected to Congress, said she "will end the regime change wars that have taken far too many lives and undermined our security by strengthening terrorist groups like al Qaeda."
She leaned heavily into her military experience having served tours in Iraq and Kuwait.
"These powerful politicians dishonor the sacrifices made by every one of my brothers and sisters in uniform, their families - they are the ones who pay the price for these wars," Gabbard said. "In fact, every American pays the price for these wars, trillions of dollars since 9/11."
"When we raise our right hand and volunteer to serve, we set aside our own interests to serve our country, to fight for all Americans. We serve as one, indivisible, united, unbreakable ― united by this bond of love for each other and love for our country," she said.
"It is in this spirit that today I announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America."
She also embodied the "spirit of aloha" in her Hawaii rally, saying: "The White House should be a beacon of aloha."
She also embodied the "spirit of aloha" in her Hawaii rally, saying: "The White House should be a beacon of aloha."
In addition to an anti-interventionist foreign policy, Gabbard touched on her support for tougher environmental regulations, criminal justice reform and Medicare for all.
She resigned as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee to throw her support Sen. Bernie Sanders' bid for the presidency in 2016. That action drew the ire of establishment Democrats that may linger to this day.
As for Assad, Gabbard later explained to CNN’s Jake Tapper. “When the opportunity arose to meet with him, I did so, because I felt it’s important that if we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then we’ve got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we could achieve peace. And that’s exactly what we talked about.”
She joins a Democratic field that is getting more crowded each week. It is a year before the Iowa Caucuses and already, it is the most diverse group of candidates running for president of the U.S. with three Asian American and Pacific Islander candidates: Besides Samoan American Gabbard, there is also Chinese American entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who was the first to announce his candidacy almost a year ago, and California Sen. Kamala Harris, who is of Indian and Caribbean descent.
Gabbard has an uphill task ahead of her against rivals who have higher national profiles. Besides Harris and Yang, three U.S. Senators, Cory Booker, D-N.J., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro of Arizona have either declared their candidacies or formed exploratory committees..
She resigned as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee to throw her support Sen. Bernie Sanders' bid for the presidency in 2016. That action drew the ire of establishment Democrats that may linger to this day.
Saturday's official lauch pressed a reset button for Gabbard's campaign after an announcement on CNN two weeks ago that reportedly caught her campaign by surprise.
Her earlier work with an anti-LGBTQ nonprofit led by her father and a meeting she held with Syrian President Bashar Assad have drawn criticism from Democrats and advocacy groups.
She said her view on LGBTQ issues have evolved and points out her more recent votes in support of that community.
As for Assad, Gabbard later explained to CNN’s Jake Tapper. “When the opportunity arose to meet with him, I did so, because I felt it’s important that if we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then we’ve got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we could achieve peace. And that’s exactly what we talked about.”
She joins a Democratic field that is getting more crowded each week. It is a year before the Iowa Caucuses and already, it is the most diverse group of candidates running for president of the U.S. with three Asian American and Pacific Islander candidates: Besides Samoan American Gabbard, there is also Chinese American entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who was the first to announce his candidacy almost a year ago, and California Sen. Kamala Harris, who is of Indian and Caribbean descent.
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