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Tulsi Gabbard, a former U.S. congressman who was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party and even ran for president, has reconsidered her political career. She has been considered by prominent figures in Hawaii’s political world as a potential vice presidential candidate to be included on Donald Trump’s short list of candidates. It’s worth noting that her father, Mike Gabbard, chose the opposite political path.
In a speech at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, Tulsi Gabbard embraced MAGA’s talking points, comparing Democrats to “evil doers” and “dictators.” Conversely, her father, a political powerhouse in the Aloha State, was one of the longest-serving Democratic senators in Hawaii’s state legislature, creating an awkward dynamic within the Gabbard family.
“I don’t have the time or the information to participate in a political circus like that,” Mike Gabbard recently told USA Today. “I think it’s out of place to talk about it. I had no idea what was going on (there).”
Mike Gabbard’s political career has been notable for several reasons, most notably his stance on traditional marriage. He founded a nonprofit called Stop Promoting Homosexuality, which spearheaded the movement against same-sex marriage in Hawaii in the 1990s. Tulsi, who once worked for his father’s anti-LGBTQ organization, later expressed his regret for his own decision.
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When Tulsi decided to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, she apologized: 4 minute video In 2019, she was criticized for her previous stance on homosexuality, an action that surprised and upset her father.
“My father was a very outspoken person. He was an activist fighting against gay rights and marriage equality in Hawaii, and I strongly defended him at the time,” Gabbard said in the video. Ta. “But as the years went by and I grew up, I formed my opinions based on my life experiences.”
In an email exchange with the Washington Examiner, the elder Gabbard said, “I never realized how much trauma I was putting her through because of my overly aggressive advocacy for traditional marriage.” ” he wrote.
After winning her first state Senate race as a Republican representing Hawaii’s 21st Senate District in 2006, Sen. Mike Gabbard switched parties while supporting her daughter’s political ambitions. Eighteen years later, the 76-year-old is still in the job, currently serving as chairman of the Agriculture and Environment Committee and vice-chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Government Operations Committee.
Gabbard said she discussed her intentions with Tulsi and that she made the decision because people around her were drawn to the Democratic Party.
“I came to this decision in conversation with my constituents, Democrats, Republicans, and independents,” Gabbard said.
Hawaii Rep. Diamond Garcia (R) revealed the reason behind Mike Gabbard’s party switch. “It was, of course, to help his daughter campaign. So, yes, it’s easy to win here as a Democrat, there’s no doubt about that,” Garcia said. “It’s easy to raise money, it’s easy to get bills passed. Of course, being a Republican, none of your bills will pass.”
For decades, Democrats have controlled the Hawaii State Legislature, which includes 68 Democrats and only eight Republicans. Since its founding in 1959, the state has only elected two Republican governors.
Hawaii State Assembly Speaker Scott Psaki has worked with both Mike Gabbard and Tulsi Gabbard. Before Tulsi Gabbard ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, in 2002 he won a seat in the Hawaii State Legislature at the age of 21, becoming the youngest person ever elected to the state legislature. She retired from her military service in 2004 and enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard, where she was deployed to Iraq for a 12-month tour of duty. In 2009 she returned to the island to work for Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).
Psaki acknowledged the unique circumstances surrounding this father-daughter duo in politics. In other words, Mike went from being an avid Republican to a Democrat during Mr. Tulsi’s campaign. At the same time, his daughter retweeted that Trump was a “Saudi bitch” in 2018, moving from her position as a Democrat to aligning herself with the presumptive Republican candidate as an independent considering a future in national politics. became.
“There are two categories of people who do that, and I’ve seen both. Over time, some get elected from one political party, but over time, it’s more about policy issues than philosophy.” Sometimes we part ways with that political party,” Saiki said. “But on the other hand, you can see that the people running for office are in a different camp and are running out of political opportunities and convenience.”
Tulsi Gabbard did not respond to USA Today’s request for comment.
Jeremy Yurow is a political reporting fellow at the USA TODAY Network based in Hawaii. He can be reached at JYurow@gannett.com or X @JeremyYurow.
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