Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii announced on Tuesday she is leaving the Democratic Party, saying it is under "complete control of an elitist cabal" and urging "fellow common sense independent-minded Democrats" to leave the party with her.
"I can no longer remain in today's Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue & stoke anti-white racism, actively work to undermine our God-given freedoms, are hostile to people of faith & spirituality, demonize the police & protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans, believe in open borders, weaponize the national security state to go after political opponents, and above all, dragging us ever closer to nuclear war," Gabbard said in a video posted on Twitter.
Gabbard was elected to Congress in 2012 and sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. She was one of the three final candidates and the only woman left before dropping out in March 2020 and announcing she would back then-Vice President Joe Biden.
The announcement was also in the inaugural episode of her new podcast, "The Tulsi Gabbard Show," that launched this week. According to the podcast's trailer, Gabbard will discuss a wide range of issues along "with guests from all walks of life."
