WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has become a fixture among conservatives since dumping the Democrat Party two years ago to become an independent.
The outspoken critic of President Biden and her former party is now rumored to be on former President Trump’s running mate shortlist — albeit as a long shot — something she hasn’t shied away from as discussions about the best choice for Republicans to reel in undecided and moderate voters ramp up ahead of the Republican National Convention (RNC) next month.
Fox News Digital caught up with Gabbard, who said in May she’d be “honored” to join Trump on the Republican ticket, during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., where she shared what she viewed as the required qualities for any individual hoping to be picked by the former president.
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Tulsi Gabbard attends a live taping of “Hannity” at Fox News Channel Studios on Sept. 13, 2023, in New York City. (Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
“In order to win, you have to be able to bring in people who may not already be with you or already be a part of your support base. This is important, not only for the election, to be able to bring in our fellow Americans,” Gabbard said.
“It is also important to do the tough work that will follow should President Trump win, to be able to actually root out the rot of corruption that exists within permanent Washington, to root out the deep state, root out those who believe that their function in government is more important than the people of this country,” she said.
“We’ve got to flip it on its head and remind people that we should have a limited government that exists to serve the people, not the other way around.”
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Former President Trump speaks during a campaign event at Historic Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Friday, June 28, 2024. (Parker Michels-Boyce/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Those who have mentioned Gabbard as a potential option for Trump point to what could be her ability to attract moderates and independents given her more liberal views on certain social positions, as well as her views on how the Democrat Party has become more radical over time.
Gabbard left the party in 2022, stating, “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue & stoke anti-white racism.”
She detailed her thought process behind the decision in a book she published earlier this year, “For Love Of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind.”
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Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaks with Fox News Digital in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2024. (Fox News Digital/Brandon Gillespie)
“When I announced I was leaving the Democratic Party, I got a flood of messages and emails and notes and DMs from people who, as you just pointed out, felt the same way that I did,” Gabbard told Fox when asked about her book’s message.
“I saw the opportunity to be able to actually go into more detail, not only on the reasons why I left the Democratic Party, but the experiences that I’ve had that brought me to that decision to leave the party that I was associated with for over 20 years, recognizing that that may help others who are struggling through their political decision, both about whether or not they want to be associated with the party or leave the Democratic Party, but also really critically, how they will vote in this election.”
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Gabbard said her book was “a very direct call to action” because of what the party had become.
It’s unclear when exactly Trump might announce his running mate, but he suggested last month he may make the announcement at the RNC in Milwaukee next month. He told Fox News last week he had decided who it was going to be, before later stating his pick would be in attendance at his first debate against Biden, which was held Thursday in Atlanta.
Those on the shortlist who joined Trump in Atlanta included Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and New York Rep. Elise Stefanik. However, Gabbard was notably not present.