Former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard officially supports Trump.

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has officially received an endorsement from Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 before distancing herself from the party. On Monday, Trump welcomed Gabbard, 43, to the stage in Detroit, a crucial swing state in Michigan.

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, citing concerns over its “wokeness,” and has since become a prominent commentator on Fox News. She joined Trump to honor U.S. service members who were killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan three years ago, using the occasion to criticize the Biden administration.

The attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul resulted in the deaths of thirteen U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans during a chaotic withdrawal of American troops and the Taliban's return to power. Trump called the incident a "humiliation" that "set off the collapse of American credibility and respect around the world." Earlier that day, he and Gabbard commemorated the lives lost at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia.

Throughout her congressional career from 2013 to 2021, Gabbard frequently criticized U.S. military interventionism. During Monday’s event in Michigan, she urged Democrats, Republicans, and independents to support Trump in the upcoming election, framing it as essential for "saving our country and serving the people."

Gabbard’s endorsement of Trump marks a significant shift in her political journey over the last decade, which began on the progressive left of the Democratic Party. She was the first Hindu member of Congress and served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee before resigning to support Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential campaign. She ran for president in 2020, advocating for liberal issues such as government-run healthcare, free college tuition, and gun control. However, Joe Biden secured the Democratic nomination that year and went on to win the presidency. In 2022, Gabbard left the Democratic Party, criticizing it for embracing "cowardly wokeness."

By early 2024, she had begun praising Trump, who is expected to compete against Kamala Harris for the White House. Gabbard warned of a growing threat to American democracy, alleging that Trump is being prosecuted by the political left. There were even speculations about her being a potential running mate for Trump, though that role ultimately went to JD Vance.

Since leaving the Democratic Party, Gabbard has been a frequent contributor to Fox News and has faced accusations of promoting "Russian propaganda" from Ukrainian officials. Her endorsement comes shortly after Trump received support from another former Democrat, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suspended his independent campaign for the presidency last week.

Top Democrats quickly dismissed Gabbard’s endorsement. Alex Floyd, the party's Rapid Response Director, stated, “Rather than focusing on earning the support of hardworking Americans, Trump is more fixated on winning the backing of extremists like Gabbard and RFK Jr. — and they’ll do nothing but weigh down his sinking ship of a campaign.”