Former President Donald Trump has been in conversation with former Congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI).
The discussions have primarily revolved around matters of foreign policy, with the possibility of serving as Trump's vice-presidential candidate also under consideration.
Per the Washington Post:
Former president Donald Trump and top advisers have spoken with former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard about foreign policy and how the Defense Department should be run in a second Trump term, according to people familiar with the matter.
Gabbard is a combat veteran and could serve well in Trump's administration. She served on the following committees when she was in Congress: Judiciary, Intelligence, Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Armed Services.
Gabbard told Fox News about her willingness to entertain discussions with Trump about potentially joining his 2024 presidential ticket as a running mate.
I'd be open to that conversation. My mission in life is to serve our country and serve the American people and find the best way to be able to do that.
She ran for president in 2020 and had issues with the Democrat National Committee throughout her campaign. Unlike Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2016, Gabbard made her feelings known and made sure that the voters knew that the DNC tried everything to stop her from debating, as well as Big Tech censoring her.
In 2016, when Gabbard endorsed Sanders over Hillary Clinton, she became the "enemy" in the Democrats' eyes. Clinton went as far as calling Gabbard a "favorite of the Russians." She was considered a rising Democrat star, per the New York Times, and that all went away when she dared to challenge the Democrat machine.
It could be smart for Trump to pick Gabbard as his running mate or give her a position in his administration, specifically in foreign policy. If he chooses Gabbard as his running mate, the Democrats and Independents who still support Gabbard could decide that Biden can't run the country for four more years and prefer Gabbard over Vice President Kamala Harris, which could lead to them voting for Trump.
After all, we know what happened when Gabbard and Harris were on the debate stage together.
There has been talk that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) is considering Gabbard as a running mate. She has the experience, is anti-war, and is a moderate Democrat. However, due to the Democrats moving more to the far left, Gabbard is perceived as being outside of the party's mainstream. Those who feel left out of the current Democrat Party and are looking for an alternative could vote for the Trump/Gabbard or RFK Jr./Gabbard ticket, which would result in fewer votes for President Biden.
Whether it's Trump or Kennedy Jr., those who still support Gabbard but voted for Biden in 2020 could well vote for a ticket with Gabbard on it in 2024.