Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard Joins After Leaving Party
Harris and Trump Accelerate Efforts to Secure Support from Opposing Party Members
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has included independent Robert Kennedy Jr., who voluntarily withdrew from the presidential race, in his presidential transition team. Former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), who left the Democratic Party, also joined the transition team. As the November presidential election approaches, both the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns are eager to secure support from members of the opposing party.
On the 27th (local time), Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, stated, "We are excited to have strong voices join our team to restore America's greatness."
Spokesperson Hughes explained that the support for former President Trump, the Republican candidate, is expanding "beyond partisan lines" in a bipartisan manner.
Earlier, Kennedy Jr. revealed in an interview the day before that he planned to join Trump's transition team. He said, "I received a request from (former President) Trump to join the transition team to help select people to run the government," adding, "I am working with the (Trump) campaign and focusing on policy issues."
In U.S. politics, it is customary to form the leadership of the presidential transition team before the election. The transition team is responsible for federal political appointments and policy formulation for the new administration. Both Kennedy Jr. and Gabbard, who are joining former President Trump's transition team, are former Democrats. Kennedy Jr. left the Democratic Party to run as an independent in the presidential race but announced his withdrawal last week and shifted his support to former President Trump. Until recently, he held around 10% support in multi-candidate virtual matchups, but his support plummeted to about 5% after the Democratic presidential candidate changed from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Gabbard also ran as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 but dropped out after losing in the party primary and later supported President Biden. She left the Democratic Party in 2022, claiming it was controlled by an elite group. Since then, Gabbard has shifted to the conservative camp and declared her official support for former President Trump last week.
Bloomberg News analyzed, "Trump has included Kennedy Jr., known for his vaccine skepticism, and Gabbard, who claims the U.S. government is surveilling her, in his transition team," adding, "Trump risks criticism for embracing figures who express extreme views in his bid to return to power."
As the presidential election nears, both the Democratic and Republican parties are focusing on securing support from members of the opposing party. According to an exclusive open letter obtained and reported by USA Today the day before, over 200 Republican figures, including former President George Bush and former Senator John McCain, who were Republican presidential candidates, have declared their support for Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
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