Yesterday, Donald Trump introduced he’ll nominate Tulsi Gabbard for Director of Nationwide Intelligence. If she is confirmed, she’ll develop into not solely the primary Samoan to land the place but in addition the first individual of coloration.
For those who’re not conversant in Tulsi: She was born in American Samoa and grew up in Hawai‘i, the place she turned the first Samoan-American Congressmember. After serving within the Hawaii Military Nationwide Guard for 17 years, she joined the US Military Reserve in 2020. Again in 2016, she endorsed Bernie Sanders for president, and in 2020, she turned the primary Samoan to run for president. All through most of her political profession, Tulsi was outspoken about progressive points like defending abortion rights and banning assault weapons.
I used to be keen about politics in school and interned for a CA senator. Throughout this time, Tulsi Gabbard was somebody I seemed as much as — a Samoan Democratic girl, identical to me! In a rustic with so little Pacific Islander illustration, she made me really feel like something was attainable.
Let’s chat about all issues 2024 Election
Think about my distraught when Tulsi pivoted on so lots of her positions over the past a number of years. Abortion rights? She supported the Supreme Courtroom’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and referred to as it “making progress in limiting the jurisdiction of the federal authorities.” Banning assault weapons? Her view has advanced due to a “a lot deeper and better appreciation for our founders’s intent for the Second Modification.” She left the Democratic Celebration in 2022 and spent two years as an Unbiased earlier than becoming a member of the Republican Celebration final month. Although she herself endorsed Biden in 2020, she has taken to repeatedly and bizarrely evaluating him to Adolf Hitler.
Clearly, she’s now a Trump supporter. She endorsed him this summer time, saying, “I’m dedicated to doing all that I can to ship President Trump again to the White Home, the place he can as soon as once more serve us as our commander-in-chief. As a result of I’m assured that his first activity shall be to do the work to stroll us again from the brink of battle.” She’s additionally been accused of spreading conspiracy theories and has develop into one thing of a conservative media darling.
It is heartbreaking to see how a lot Tulsi has modified. TBH, it looks like a betrayal. I am often somebody who goes out of my solution to help different Pacific Islanders, however that is one thing I can not help.
To assume that she might develop into the best stage of political illustration for Pacific Islanders on this nation? All I can say is that this: Tulsi, you do not signify me.
What do you concentrate on all this? LMK within the feedback under.
🗳 🇺🇲 Make your vote depend! Study extra about register, vital deadlines, and your state’s mail-in voting choices right here. For extra on the 2024 election, take a look at protection on BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and NBC Information.