BREAKING: Tulsi Gabbard endorses Trump for president

Gabbard said that she was "committed" to doing "all that I can to send President Trump back to the White House where he can once again serve us as our Commander-in-Chief."

Gabbard recounted spending the morning with Trump and gold star families at Arlington National Cemetary on the anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan. "I felt the sorrow that he shared with them in their loss," Gabbard said of Trump. "I felt and saw his sincere appreciation for these servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price and their loved ones who continue to grieve to this day."

"This is personal for me," she said, recounting her experience in Iraq in 2005 with the Hawaii Army National Guard and how there was a "sadness as we boarded the plane when we left that we were leaving some of our brothers and sisters behind, only to lose others when we got home to suicide."

"So I mean what I say when I share with you that I know that President Trump understands the grave responsibility that a president and commander-in-chief bears for every single one of our lives, whether you're a soldier, you're an Airman, a Marine, sailor, or a Coastie, he keeps us in his heart, in the decisions that he makes."

She noted that Trump in his first term "took action to de-escalate and prevent wars," and that "the same cannot be said about Kamala Harris. In fact, the opposite is true, and we're living through this reality today as this administration has us facing multiple wars on multiple fronts and regions around the world, and closer to the brink of nuclear war than we ever have been before." She said this was one of the main reasons for her endorsement of Trump.

"We as Americans must stand together to reject this anti-freedom culture of political retaliation and abuse of power. We can't allow our country to be destroyed by politicians who will put their own power ahead of the interests of the American people, our freedom, and our future.

"I am proud to stand here before you today. Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, or an Independent, if you love our country as I do, if you cherish peace and freedom as we do, I invite you to join me in doing all that we can to save our country and elect President Donald J Trump and send him back to the White House to do the tough work of saving our country and serving the people."

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