Tulsi Gabbard 2020 presidential campaign
The 2020 presidential campaign of Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, began on January 11, 2019.[4] In January 2020, she was polling at about 1 to 2 percent.[5][6] Had she won, she would have become the first female, Hindu, and Samoan president in American history, and the youngest person to ever hold the office.[7] She made reducing military activity abroad a central message of her campaign.[8]
Tulsi Gabbard 2020 presidential campaign
Tulsi Gabbard
U.S. Representative (2013–2021)
Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives (2002–2004)
January 11, 2019
February 2, 2019
March 19, 2020
Erika Tsuji (spokesperson)[1]
US$12,619,444.52[2] (12/31/2019)
Lead with Love[3]
Background[edit]
Gabbard had been a rising figure in the Democratic Party in the lead-up to the 2016 election cycle, when she served as Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).[10]
Gabbard appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast in both September 2018 and November 2020, the latter along with Jocko Willink.[11][12] On October 19, 2018, Politico reported that Gabbard was "weighing a 2020 presidential bid" but would not make an announcement until after the 2018 midterm elections.[13] On December 12, 2018, Gabbard said on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews that she was "seriously considering" running for president in 2020.[14]
Democratic primary campaign[edit]
Launch[edit]
On January 11, 2019, in an interview with CNN's Van Jones, Gabbard confirmed her intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination.[4] On January 24, she formally launched her campaign by releasing a video on her website.[15]
The following week, NBC News notified the Gabbard campaign they would be publishing a story[16] the week after her campaign kickoff rally, where NBC would assert Gabbard was supported by the "Russian propaganda machine".[17] Instead, NBC released the story two hours before her campaign kickoff in Hawaii on February 2.[16] Glenn Greenwald criticized NBC for relying on a firm that had previously tried to imitate "an elaborate 'false flag' operation" that would plant the idea that Alabama Senatorial candidate Roy Moore was being supported by a "Russian botnet".[18]
Shortly after the announcement, campaign manager Rania Batrice and consulting firm Revolution Messaging departed from the campaign. Politico reported that sources "familiar with the campaign" referred to Gabbard as "indecisive and impulsive".[1] Her staff insists that the vacancy in the campaign manager position is the result of "careful deliberation, not campaign dysfunction."[19]
