The 2024 Republican presidential ticket might have an unorthodox dynamic.
Appearing on Fox News’ “Hannity” Tuesday, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who left the Democratic Party in 2022, hinted that she would consider running for vice president with the eventual GOP nominee.
“I think about it every day,” Gabbard told host Sean Hannity.
Although Gabbard remains an independent, she has emerged as a formidable critic of President Joe Biden and Democratic elites.
Hannity posed an open-ended question about Gabbard’s immediate future. He asked whether she would accept a spot on either the GOP ticket or what he called “this ‘no-labels’ party that’s out there.”
“I would consider any opportunity to be able to serve my country and make the most positive impact, especially at this time, where our country’s future and our democracy are at risk,” Gabbard replied.
Hannity then pressed Gabbard on the “no-labels” option, and she expressed generic interest without committing to anything in particular.
“You’re clearly thinking about it. You’re clearly open to it,” Hannity said without specifying “it.”
At that point, Gabbard admitted that “every day” she thinks about her options and worries for the future.
Tuesday on X, The Post Millennial tweeted a 90-second clip of the interview, which readers can view below:
Tulsi Gabbard: “I would consider any opportunity to be able to serve my country and make the most positive impact, especially at this time where our country’s future and our democracy are at risk.” pic.twitter.com/TPht8bWsIl
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 30, 2023
Gabbard gave Hannity a more complicated but less evasive answer than might first appear.
After all, Hannity asked the former congresswoman whether she would run with “a Republican nominee,” not a particular candidate.
Gabbard responded in the only way possible: She will consider all options. That meant yes, she would run with a Republican, but it depends on which Republican.
From Gabbard’s perspective, which Republican candidate might share her view of what ails America?
Well, in light of Gabbard’s frequent criticism of the deep state and the military-industrial complex, she appears not to have deviated from the main theme of her 2020 presidential bid, when she campaigned against America’s endless wars.
Likewise, Gabbard’s general hostility to the establishment made her a frequent guest on Tucker Carlson’s top-rated show. In fact, prior to Carlson’s departure from Fox News, Gabbard often appeared as a fill-in host on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
Recently, Gabbard has criticized the Biden administration for weaponizing the justice system against its political enemies.
In short, Gabbard has anti-establishment credentials that would make her a perfect running mate for an anti-establishment GOP candidate.
I can’t prove it — I don’t have the receipts — but I very clearly recall telling anyone who would listen in early 2020, before the madness hit, that then-President Donald Trump should replace then-Vice President Mike Pence with Gabbard. On crucial issues, her views better aligned with Trump’s. They still do.
Of course, Gabbard’s Democratic Party affiliation made such a move impossible. Regrettably, she proceeded to endorse Biden.
Her ostracism from the establishment, however, had already begun. During the campaign, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called Gabbard a “Russian asset.” The women of ABC’s “The View,” dutifully peddling establishment propaganda, amplified Clinton’s slanderous remark.
Meanwhile, Gabbard has voiced growing concern over both wokeness and the Democratic Party’s drift toward authoritarianism. She has denounced child mutilation and expressed support for the Second Amendment.
As a purely electoral calculation, I suspect she would attract fewer women than one might guess. But we have no need to play identity politics.
On the other hand, I do suspect that she would attract a certain type of anti-establishment voter. Those who have reservations about Trump would feel heartened by her presence on the ticket. Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., would fit this description.
Speaking only for myself, I would welcome Gabbard as VP candidate in the newly populist and forever conservative Republican Party.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
