Tulsi Gabbard tells Joe Rogan Democratic Party is 'real threat to our democracy'

Former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her departure from the Democratic Party on Tuesday, told Joe Rogan of the cult-like atmosphere within the party that is being led by people who don't believe in the rule of law and who have gone insane with fanaticism.

"The danger of it is the people in charge of the Democratic Party, whether they actually hold positions or they just are influential in the Democratic Party, have created this cult-like atmosphere and fomented this fear. So much so that people who are really in a position to impact this, to stand up against and say 'hold on guys this is literally insane and needs to stop', they're too afraid to do so because of what the ramifications will be," she told Rogan. 

"The Democratic Party of the past, the Democratic Party that I joined, doesn't exist anymore," she went on. "The party of JFK, of Dr Martin Luther King, the party of inclusivity, the big tent party that welcomed and encouraged this marketplace of ideas and conversations and people that held different views; the party that championed women and equality and the rights of people in our society. That party just doesn't exist anymore and instead we have a party that's being led by people who have gone insane with this ideological fanaticism."  

"There are a lot of different issues," she said, before explaining that "the whole issue of biology and the trans issue is just one of them."

"You don't have a right to raise your kids; you don't have a right to say what they're being taught in schools. Now the state, the government, the teachers' unions, only they have that right and responsibility. They're undermining families." 

"They don't believe in the rule of law. Defund the police; the Supreme Court, we don't agree with them so they're illegitimate," she cited as examples of the views held by the "ideologues who've taken control" of the party. Ideologues who she says "don't actually care about the people." 

"It's all about themselves, their power, and their maintaining control, and that's the real threat to our democracy that they pose is that they don't believe in freedom of speech; they don't believe in freedom of thought; they don't believe in freedom of religion. All they believe in is you've got to buy into whatever they're selling at any given day."

She described how agreement with these ideologues is not enough. "You've got to go out there; you got to march in the parade; you've got to carry the sign; scream and yell."

"Don't you dare even think about talking to Republicans. Don't even think about working with Republicans because that directly undermines their authority."

Gabbard told Rogan that this was something she had been trying to fight against while she was vice chair of the Democratic National Committee but that she felt it has gotten to the point where those who are in charge are "not willing to change."