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Yesterday, Donald Trump announced he will nominate Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence. If she is confirmed, she’ll become not only the first Samoan to land the position but also the first person of color.
If you’re not familiar with Tulsi: She was born in American Samoa and grew up in Hawai‘i, where she became the first Samoan American Congressmember. After serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for 17 years, she joined the US Army Reserve in 2020. Back in 2016, she endorsed Bernie Sanders for president, and in 2020, she became the first Samoan to run for president. Throughout most of her political career, Tulsi was outspoken about progressive issues like protecting abortion rights and banning assault weapons.
I was passionate about politics in college and interned for a California senator. During this time, Tulsi Gabbard was someone I looked up to — a Samoan Democratic woman, just like me! In a country with so little Pacific Islander representation, she made me feel like anything was possible.
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Imagine my distraught when Tulsi pivoted on so many of her positions over the last several years. Abortion rights? She supported the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and called it “making progress in limiting the jurisdiction of the federal government.” Banning assault weapons? Her view has evolved thanks to a “much deeper and greater appreciation for our founders’ intent for the Second Amendment.” She left the Democratic Party in 2022 and spent two years as an Independent before joining the Republican Party last month. Though she herself endorsed Biden in 2020, she has taken to repeatedly and bizarrely comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
Obviously, she’s now a Trump supporter. She endorsed him this summer, saying, “I’m committed to doing all that I can to send President Trump back to the White House, where he can once again serve us as our commander-in-chief. Because I am confident that his first task will be to do the work to walk us back from the brink of war.” She’s also been accused of spreading conspiracy theories and has become something of a conservative media darling.
It’s heartbreaking to see how much Tulsi has changed. TBH, it feels like a betrayal. I’m usually someone who goes out of my way to support other Pacific Islanders, but this is something I cannot support.
To think that she could become the highest level of political representation for Pacific Islanders in this country? All I can say is this: Tulsi, you don’t represent me.
What do you think about all this? LMK in the comments below.
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