Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who now supports Donald Trump, joined him on stage in Greensboro on Tuesday night to announce her joining the Republican Party.

After walking out to loud cheers from the former president's supporters, Gabbard said she was joining “the party of the people, the party of equality, the party that was founded to fight against and end slavery in this country.” and the party of is one of common sense and the party led by a president who has the courage and strength to fight for peace.”

Trump introduced her at the end of his nearly two-hour speech, calling her “a woman that everyone loves” who has “so much common sense.” As Gabbard walked to the podium, Trump hugged her and said, “Boy, are you popular!”

Gabbard said the Democratic Party, of which she was a member for more than 20 years, is now “completely unrecognizable.” She announced just over two years ago, on October 11, 2022, that she was leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent, ABC News reported.

On Tuesday, she criticized Vice President Kamala Harris as an ineffective leader and criticized her for touting the support of former Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and appearing with her on the campaign trail.

“She’s anti-freedom, she’s pro-censorship, she’s pro-open borders and she’s pro-war,” Gabbard said of Harris. “Without even appearing to care about peace, as President Trump has said, she has shamelessly embraced the endorsement and support of warmongers like Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney and others who seek the power and sustenance of the military “The industrial complex cares more about you than they care about you.”

In contrast, Gabbard said, Trump has promised to “end wars, not start them” and has the “courage” to “root out the deep rot of corruption in the swamp in Washington.”

When he returned to the podium, Trump said he was unaware that Gabbard would announce she was joining the Republican Party. He called it a “surprise” and a “great honor.”

Gabbard ran for president as a Democrat in 2020 and ended her campaign in a crowded field. She received national attention for attacking Harris and her record during the second Democratic presidential debate in July 2019. Clips of this exchange between Gabbard and Harris went viral at the time and gained renewed attention ahead of the first Trump-Harris debate last month.

After his exit in 2020, Gabbard endorsed Joe Biden for president, USA Today reported.

Under the dome

Get the latest news on North Carolina politics from the award-winning team at The News & Observer. Receive the free overview by email by signing up here.