- Gabbard said in a statement that she “respectfully declined” to be Kennedy’s running mate
- She told journalist Tucker Carlson that she would be “honored” to serve with Trump if he asked
- Gabbard endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president in 2016
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard confirmed Tuesday that she had accepted an offer from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had declined to become his running mate even as she signaled her willingness to serve in the role under former President Donald Trump.
“I have met Kennedy several times and we have become good friends,” she said in a statement to ABC News. ‘He asked if I wanted to be his running mate. After careful consideration, I respectfully declined.”
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman for the state of Hawaii, piqued Kennedy’s interest after she left the Democratic party in 2022, calling it an “elitist cabal of warmongers.”
Gabbard said that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked her to be his running mate, but she turned him down
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose attorney Nicole Shanahan instead and announced his decision last week
Kennedy ultimately chose millionaire lawyer Nichole Shanahan as his running mate after considering other prospects such as New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, and former Democratic nominee for president Andrew Yang.
However, Gabbard appears open to the idea of serving as vice president or as a cabinet member for former President Donald Trump.
She spoke about the possibility in a March interview with journalist Tucker Carlson.
“I would be honored to serve our country in some capacity and be in a position to help President Trump if he is re-elected to actually address these challenges,” she said when asked if she would consider running to serve as running mate for Trump.
Tulsi Gabbard said she would be “honored” to be vice president or a member of Trump’s Cabinet
Gabbard has met personally with Trump over the past year and discussed foreign policy and Pentagon issues. according to to reports.
Many Trump supporters are fans of Gabbard’s views on a more cautious foreign policy abroad and see her as a running mate who would appeal to more Democrats or Independents disappointed in President Joe Biden.
Gabbard has also condemned the new “woke” movement transforming the political left and regularly defends the right to free speech on social media.
She also sparked interest as Trump’s vice presidential candidate after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February and praising Trump’s patriotism.
“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 of Trump. “This is a fighter, his strength and resilience can only come from one place: genuine patriotism.”
Former United States Representative Tulsi Gabbard speaks at CPAC
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president in 2016 over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
After being singled out by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a rising star in the Democratic party, Gabbard lost the support of Democratic leaders after criticized the Obama administration’s military actions in Syria in 2015.
Gabbard further lost the support of elites in the Democratic party after she resigned from her position at the Democratic National Committee in February 2016 and endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for president instead of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Gbbard also ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, famously running afoul of then-Senator. Kamala Harris’ on the debate stage about whether the California senator could describe himself as a true progressive.
If Trump chooses Gabbard as his running mate, there could be a debate rematch with Harris in the one and only vice presidential debate before the 2024 election.