When Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become independent, she accused that party of no longer serving as a "home" for those who love the Constitution.
She was out of office then after having served four terms in the House for Hawaii’s second district.
A veteran, Gabbard was part of a Hawaii Army National Guard field medical unit in Iraq from 2004-2005 and later served as a Military Police platoon leader in Kuwait from 2008-2009.
She currently serves in the U.S. Army Reserves with a rank of lieutenant colonel.
She was elected to the Hawaii House of Representative at the age of 21 in 2002.
Gabbard entered the race for the White House in January of 2019. A year later she was polling at less than 2%. Two months later she dropped out and endorsed Joe Biden against Trump.
Gabbard the candidate made reducing U.S. military presence broad a key component of her campaign, The Atlantic reported.
During a Tuesday night Trump rally in Greensboro North Carolina, Gabbard made her big announcement.
“It is because of my love for our country, and specifically because of the leadership that President Trump has brought to transform the Republican Party and bring it back to the party of the people and the party of peace that I'm proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I'm joining the Republican Party."
Recently, Gabbard had joined the Trump campaign as an honorary co-chair for the transition team alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., another former Democrat, Fox News reported.
Trump campaign: Nothing to see here
Her experience and profile would make her an attractive candidate for some post in a Trump administration,
though the campaign downplayed the significance of Trump speaking with Gabbard in advance of his debate with Kamala Harris, The Hill reported.
Gabbard shared a debate stage with Harris in 2019.
Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families says there is a great realignment in the Republican Party.
"Donald Trump is remaking the Republican Party into a middle-class, working-class party. If you look at what's out there right now, you've got broadly speaking, on the conservative side, people like Robert Kennedy Junior and Elon Musk and now Tulsi Gabbard all rallying to Trump’s side into the GOP side."
