Former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard fuels running mate chatter with fiery CPAC speech praising Donald Trump and saying Joe Biden ‘can’t handle this pressure’

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday evening with an impassioned speech defending former President Donald Trump.

Gabbard spoke to a CPAC ballroom full of Trump supporters who cheered her on as she praised the former president for continuing to fight against the Washington, DC, establishment elite.

‘I have met many strong, tough people in my life. “I can’t think of a single person who could not only withstand whatever is thrown at Donald Trump without collapsing, but also someone who would actually choose to continue fighting the entire Washington establishment,” Gabbard said.

Gabbard praised Trump for continuing to fight for “love of country,” arguing that Biden did not have the same strength

Gabbard, a former Democrat, referenced her past friendship with President Joe Biden and suggested there was no way he could handle a similar attack.

“I have known Joe Biden for a long time, I always considered him a friend, do you think he can handle this pressure?” She asked the audience. ‘I do not think so.’

Gabbard, a former Democratic congressman from Hawaii, supported Democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders for president in 2015 and opposed the Democratic establishment that joined to protect Hillary.

In October 2022, Gabbard announced she was leaving the Democratic party because it was “under the complete control of an elite cabal of warmongers, driven by cowardly wokeness.”

Now Gabbard is on Trump’s list of potential vice presidential picks.

When Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked Tuesday for a list of possible choices for a running mate, including Gabbard, Trump responded: “Honestly, all those people are good. They’re all good, they’re all solid.”

Gabbard and Trump may soon cross paths, as is expected of her head a fundraiser for the 917 Society at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in March.

It’s unclear how seriously Trump considers Gabbard as a running mate, but her speech captivated CPAC activists in the audience.

Gabbard warned them of the lengths the Democratic elite would go to attack Trump, as evidenced by the lawsuits filed against him.

“Our democracy is under attack, the perpetrators of this attack are those who are destroying it in the name of saving democracy,” she said.

She described party elites as “evildoers” who believe they are “doing the right thing” but threatened the Constitution with their desperate efforts to keep Trump off the ballot.

Former United States Representative Tulsi Gabbard

Former United States Representative Tulsi Gabbard

“I do not use these words lightly: all of us who love this country and cherish peace and freedom should be deeply alarmed by those who, driven by their insatiable hunger for power, are actively undermining everything we stand for,” she said .

Gabbard argued that Democrats were the dictators, using the legal system to keep Trump off the ballot by any means necessary.

“It’s so crazy it’s laughable,” she said. “It’s madness and it’s the mindset and mindset of dictators.”

Gabbard attacked Trump’s main opponent Nikki Haley for repeatedly claiming Trump was only doing it for himself.

“I’ve gotten a sense of what motivates him, and it has nothing to do with what the Washington establishment is accusing him of,” she said. “This is a fighter, his strength and resilience can only come from one place: genuine patriotism.”