I’m Unsure About Supporting Tulsi Gabbard For A Potential 2028 Presidential Campaign

Posted by Miserable-Bit5939@reddit | tulsi | View on Reddit | 32 comments

If y’all recognize my username, I’ve been an ardent Tulsi Gabbard supporter for years. I went to her Veteran’s Day Town Hall in 2019, shook her hand and took a picture with her. I changed my party preference from Republican to Democrat so I could vote for her in the primary. The main reason why I supported her for so long is because she’s been a voice of reason on foreign policy and I commend her for her military service. Of course as a conservative Republican, I’ve had my disagreements with some of her past political stances and decisions in her career.

I’ve been disappointed with Tulsi Gabbard many times throughout the years I’ve been supporting her. I was disappointed when she endorsed Joe Biden instead of waiting for the primary to be officially over. I would’ve been fine with her endorsing Bernie Sanders again at that time because of their ideological alignment. I was disappointed when she withdrew her defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clitnon. I was disappointed when she posted a black square on Instagram. However, I think I’ve reached my limit with my disappointments.

After she was confirmed as DNI, I thought she would really shake up the intelligence community and be a change agent in Washington DC. However, I’m seeing the complete opposite. I know it hasn’t even been a full year into the administration, but something seems off with Tulsi Gabbard. She’s not as vocal as she used to be on foreign policy.

In the Signalgate hearings, she stated that the IC concluded Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and their program has not been reauthorized after its suspension in 2003. Trump dismissed her assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but she didn’t publicly call him out for saying that she’s wrong. Instead she accused the “propaganda media” of twisting her words in that testimony and posted an excerpt of her stating that Iran exceeded its uranium enrichment limit allowed by the JCPOA. She even praised Trump for the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and the eventual ceasefire.

In addition to my disappointment in her tenure so far as DNI, Republicans (including myself) will have a hard time trusting someone who was a Democrat for 20 years and served in multiple political offices in that party. It wasn’t too long ago that she also seeked the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Her foreign policy positions are genuine, but the same cannot be said for domestic issues. It seems that she echoes the sentiment of whichever side she’s aligned with when asked about domestic or social issues (abortion, LGBT, gun control).

I believe that she does have the potential to become a great president some day. She needs to earn the trust of the Republican base because she’s still new to the party. 2028 will be an uphill battle for her to win the nomination especially if she goes up against big names in the party such as MAGA heir JD Vance, popular ultraconservative Ron DeSantis and neoconservative establishment darling Nikki Haley.

What path does she honestly have towards the nomination?

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watching_whatever@reddit

Tulsi just released a bombshell report stating that Obama deliberately falsified and manufactured lies about Trump before and by Obama’s appointees after DJT was elected. Evidence is supplied to back up this stunning report.

Obviously the NYT, Washington Post and others are complicit and don’t know what to do. Basically they will not report her findings or their implications in detail. But if the Justice Department starts handing out charges they will be forced to act.

She has a chance to become the first woman President and her bold report on President Obama, who they gave the Noble Peace Prize before he did anything should be commended by all.

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JayMilli007@reddit

The senate intelligence committee that looked into this was lead by Republicans and it was even written by them. Democrat and Republican agreed to the report, even the chairman who signed off on it was Rubio. Are they going to go after all of them too?

This is all a distraction from Trump releasing the Epstein files. A good way to get back into the good graces of Trump.

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watching_whatever@reddit

The evidence is present showing Obama directed the illegal use of the Law for Political Purposes. He should have his Noble Peace Prize recalled and face charges. Some Democrats might get charges in the not too distant future.

Democratic corruption happened and the public knew it which resulted in more support for Trump. Even many Dems know the lengths used were illegal but felt it was ok in order to grab power. The use of the Law for Political Purposes and the continual lies told by Adam Schiff on National News (for example) are a disgrace to the history of the Democratic Party.

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JayMilli007@reddit

She is basically conflating hacking user votes, machines and changing tallies to social media disinformation, bots and psychological manipulation. No one claimed in the 2017 assessment that Russia hacked the votes. It was all about the influence that they could possibly have had over the 2016 election.

Once again, Marco Rubio even stated that Russia had influence. He even lead the bipartisan Russia report in 2020. That report concluded there was an attempt to influence. However, I guess none of that matters to you. We will see if more comes out, but what we have right now is a mere distraction from the Epstein files. I'm just not blinded by thinking one side is worse than the other. I'm affiliated with neither.

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watching_whatever@reddit

Epstein was banned from Trump’s hotel. Trump never flew on the Epstein’s plane or went to the island. The same can’t be said about Bill Clinton.

Tulsi has reviewed all the records which may or may not been present to everyone. Schiff was censored by Congress but the full extent of what the Democrat’s did has not yet been prosecuted. Maybe it will be perhaps sooner than expected.

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poriomaniac@reddit

It makes me incredibly sad that you are what a Tusli supporter can look like now.

AdLongjumping7433@reddit

Tulsi has a strong path and she has always been consistent on all of the important things, and always completely a person of integrity, to a truly rare degree.

None of these critiques hold water when examined for the facts.

Tulsi not only endorsed Biden but also Hillary in 2016 (despite suing her later), but they were the biggest non-endorsement endorsements ever, a single one sentence statement with no praise, in writing, barely circulated to anyone - no photo, no video, no article of support, no campaigning, no promise to even vote for them, just a one sentence endorsement - and do you know why she does that? Because she pledged in writing that she would endorse the nominee, as a prerequisite of being a candidate in the race for the Democratic nomination in 2020 and possibly for being made Vice Chair at the DNC going into the 2016 cycle as well. This was honoring her word, a good thing, not a bad one.

She is more vocal against the deep state and against nuclear proliferation in war than any DNI in history, she talks about those issues when anyone in any intelligence role in US history does not speak up against those things on behalf of peace, ever - so it is remarkable that she talks about that so much, and at all, given her role.

Her testimony on Iran was honest, and I highlighted the same parts of it that you just did, at the time leading up to the strike, hoping to deter it - but ultimately, her full testimony that day said more than that about capability and intent of their government than just the part you and I focus on, so the attack was not in conflict with it. The notable Trump plane moment responding to a question about Tulsi was completely overblown; he was literally just confronted with "x disagrees with you" when he was very tired late at night, and said "well x is wrong", and that was the whole exchange. He thought the reporter was providing new information that someone under him was suddenly belatedly disagreeing; the reporter was in fact just referring to part of Tulsi's earlier report, but only the part that you highlighted and not the whole thing.

Her views on women's rights over the delusions of radical gender ideology have been consistent throughout.

Her shift on gun laws was legitimate, and partially brought about by the evidence and arguments provided to her by libertarian and activist Reed Coverdale, and his reasoning was very well thought-out and compelling.

Nikki Haley has no chance, most people have the sense to know the neos wrecked the party under Bush Jr. and only Trump saved the party from certain death. Ron DeSantis has such a great record to talk about but a voice that no one wants on national TV for the next ten years.

Tulsi has incredible integrity, empathy, intelligence, and has always been consistent on opposing elective wars and supporting the working class, but also a telegenic voice and appearance as well.

I have met her personally, and her family, and she is completely genuine in real life. We would be lucky to have her as President.

therin_88@reddit

She's not going to run in 2028. She just became a Republican 6 months ago.

Personally, I'm hoping she gets Secretary of State in a Vance administration. I'd like to see Rubio as VP, then Tulsi as Rubio's VP after two Vance terms.

Vance will never be President.

Sea-Studio-2385@reddit

Say that again.

kerenar@reddit

Be careful, that's what they said about Trump, too. The Republicans can win with a blow-up doll in 2028 if the the DNC keeps rigging primaries to nominate the puppet that they like the best.

Trump had to carry Vance across the finish line by campaigning at a furious pace. There is nothing wrong with this ex Marine, but the fact is practically nobody went to his rallies and deep down nobody thinks he is really qualified to be a great President. Vance just does not have it in him and if you want send me a post the day the next Presidential campaign is over.

Any smart opponent also has video on Vance that would destroy his chances, although that is not really even needed. I not going to mention what that video is.

TheGreenBehren@reddit

Have you seen the news in the last month? lol

Moonbeam_86@reddit

This is also my dream team.

SeasonsGone@reddit

This also assumes a Democrat doesn’t win for 2 terms and Vance doesn’t do something to piss off MAGA like Pence did.

Even in 2020, there was all sorts of speculation about what the 2 Pence terms would look like after Trump’s final term. An obviously silly idea now.

Hey bud.

I never met the woman but I grew up in Bethesda and know how the swamp ecosystem works.

People have your question a lot: why do people go to Washington and not do the stuff they promised? Are they a sell out? No. Long story short, there’s a political “game” you have to play. You cannot get things done in Washington if you don’t play the “game” to a certain degree. I don’t think she changed at all or betrayed us or herself.

Let’s say hypothetically she pushed back on Trump’s Iran situation. Ok. Then she gets fired barely 6 months in. Then what? All of that political capital wasted? She already made her initial statement, that was enough. Sometimes in politics you have to pick your battles. Sometimes, the truth is too complex to explain in soundbites.

Tulsi was supposed to be Biden’s VP. But she was rejected because of the smear campaign. They’ve been defaming that woman for years. Why? Because she’s fucking right, that’s why. She struck a nerve. Syria was just another one on that list that General Wesley Clarke exposed, not some threat to the US, and the swamp ecosystem fell for it hook line and sinker.

Rome wasn’t conquered in a day. Let her cook.

Hahahahahahahahaha is this the excuse we're gonna get for the next 18 months before people in the cabinet start announcing their presidential runs? give it a rest

dbrown42@reddit

Let her cook. Love it! 🙌🙌

LordXenu12@reddit

0/10 for the trump cult sellout

Electronic_Mango1@reddit

She's one of the most cunning, and successful, political chameleons and grifters the world has ever seen. She has gone from conservative to moderate dem to progressive to moderate dem to independent back to conservative. Whatever it takes to get more power.

I’m not sure what people actually think a President Gabbard would do that’s so sensational and transformative. I think people are hungry for some sort of political rapture that brings out all the secrets to light and makes the elites pay and maybe she’s an attempt at getting that…?

If the current Epstein scandal is any indication, that’s not happening.

In the best case, these people know you’re all hungry for something like that and dangle it over your heads so you vote for them despite there being nothing of consequence, the worst case is that they’re just not going to release anything either.

Meanwhile none of them are raising awareness about policy that actually improves are lived experience as Americans, such as housing or healthcare affordability.

Miserable-Bit5939@reddit (OP)

She’s a career politician. Has she really achieved anything that has transformed our lives for the better? No she hasn’t. I think folks including myself are drawn to her because she’s articulate and easy on the eyes. Unfortunately, she’s just like every other politician who will do what it takes get into and stay in power even if she brands herself as “anti-establishment” or some transformative figure

There is a distinction that you need to understand.

There’s two types of politicians:

politicians who win
politicians who lose

Tulsi is a politician who wins. The ones who lose, well, they lost already. They aren’t relevant.

Just let her cook dude. She only JUST got in the party. Just because the timing of the russiagate stuff is used to distract from Epstein, yes, that doesn’t mean it’s not true either. The hyperfixation on Rusha Rusha Rusha only provided cover for Netanyahu, the real queen Amidala. It wasn’t Putin, it was Netanyahu. So the very people pushing Russiagate—Schiff, Shultz, Slotkin and Schumer—were doing so to provide cover for Epsteingate, be it intentional or not.

It almost sounds like a movie.

Being articulate and easy on the eyes gets us nothing though. The bar is on the floor.

Yeah I agree but you can’t deny that she’s hot af

If we’re being shallow I think she has horribly damaged skin from acne, and a nice face otherwise.

raging-peanuts@reddit

Yeah, there’s nothing “hot” about her at all.

What about her ass? And she’s got a nice body

I'm surprised we hear from her as much as we do considering her role as DNI but I never paid any attention to her predecessors so nothing for me to go on. I wouldn't expect her to speak out publicly that's really only necessary from the outside so she may very well be disagreeing with Trump in private. I don't really agree on this administration's take on the documents they just released but there should be a price paid for them making accusations of Russian collusion and HRC calling Tulsi a Russian asset. I loved that she revoked the security clearance of the 51 members of the IC that signed that bs letter about the laptop. As for her potential future campaigns I think she's got the leadership skills to move the country forward without dividing us any further at least that's what I hope for whoever is next in line for POTUS or VP.