On Sunday, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii stepped down from her position as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to formally offer her endorsement of Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. Gabbard revealed the move during a Meet the Press appearance on Sunday, pointing to Sanders' "good judgment" with regards to the future of military action in the Middle East.
"As a veteran, as a soldier, I've seen firsthand the true cost of war," Gabbard said when announcing her endorsement. "As we look at our choices as to who our next Commander-in-chief will be is to recognize the necessity to have a Commander-in-chief who has foresight. Who exercises good judgment. Who looks beyond the consequences." Gabbard also noted that Sanders is the candidate most likely to ensure the nation avoids additional "failures" that have only added to "chaos in the Middle East."
Sanders' campaign suffered a potential setback in South Carolina on Saturday, with Hillary Clinton besting the Vermont Senator by a remarkably wide margin. "Tomorrow, this campaign goes national," Hillary told supporters shortly after victory was officially declared in South Carolina's primary, CNN reports. "Despite what you hear, we don't need to make America great again. America has never stopped being great."
Gabbard, according to NPR, is the fourth member of Congress to publicly endorse Sanders' campaign but easily the "most high-profile" to do so. She previously served with the Hawaii National Guard and in Iraq, both experiences that greatly inform her passion for measured military action in the face of a trigger-happy rhetoric from much of Sanders' GOP opposition.
