A onetime Democratic presidential contender and former lawmaker is set to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference this week according to the group’s chair.
Former Hawaii lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard “will address the conference’s Ronald Reagan Dinner on Saturday night, slated alongside conservative leader Glenn Beck who will provide the keynote remarks during the event,” The Daily Wire reported.
CONFIRMED: @TulsiGabbard pic.twitter.com/JqaL0byn8U
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 21, 2022
Without question, the attendance at CPAC by any top Democrat is unusual, especially one who has been given a speaking slot. But in recent months, Gabbard has increasingly attacked President Joe Biden and her own party, which has drawn the attention of conservatives and right-leaning media.
“Other speakers scheduled for the Orlando, Florida, CPAC event this week include former President Donald Trump, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All three conservative leaders have been rumored as possible 2024 Republican presidential candidates,” The Daily Wire adds.
In November, Gabbard took swipes at majority Democrats in Congress and the White House, claiming they are “tearing our country apart.”
Gabbard’s remarks came after Fox News host Neil Cavuto asked her about a recent survey that found nearly half of Democrats do not want Biden to be their party’s nominee in 2024.
“I think that the American people, it’s clear as we saw in Virginia, it’s actually a positive sign that they’re rejecting the kind of divisiveness, the racialization of everything in this country, the fomenting of anger and hatred, that unfortunately, we’re seeing coming from so many of my fellow Democrats, and they’re standing up and saying, ‘Hey, we want to choose an optimistic future, a hopeful future, a future where we can live up to that dream of Martin Luther King about judging each other by our character, not by the color of our skin, respecting each other as fellow Americans and Democrats and Republicans actually coming together to work towards a shared goal, a shared objective of doing what is best for the American people and our country,’” Gabbard said.
“That’s the direction that we need to head in. And I think the Virginia governor’s election was a positive indication of voters taking a stand and letting their voices be heard through the ballot box,” she added.
Cavuto then went on to ask the Hawaii Democrat and National Guard officer about a Democrat strategist — James Carville, who first rose to prominence running Bill Clinton’s first campaign — who said members of the party have a “wokeness” problem.
“It’s true, you know, when you have people in positions of power, who arrogantly believe that they’re not accountable to the people and who treat us like we’re stupid like they know better, they know best what’s good for us more than we know ourselves and all we got to do is blindly follow along and listen, it’s no wonder that people are rejecting that. If there is no respect for us, as individuals, as Americans coming from our leadership, then how could they expect that we the American people should offer any respect or trust towards them?” she said.
In January, she blasted Biden over a divisive speech he gave about voting rights as Democrats were attempting to pivot to a bill that would have essentially federalized elections.
In a video posted to Twitter, Gabbard accused Biden of being “until to lead” and said that he is failing in his pledge to unite the country.
“Biden promised to unite our country. Instead he betrayed us, pouring fuel on the fire of divisiveness, tearing our country apart. Biden compares those who disagree with him to racists, traitors & enemies, & has his AG target Americans as domestic terrorists. Unfit to lead,” she wrote in a post containing the video.
“I supported Joe Biden, and millions of other Americans voted for Joe Biden because he promised to unite us,” Gabbard said in the video. “He promised to bring us together, to end the divisiveness. Sadly, not only has he failed to do this, he has betrayed us all by pouring fuel on the fires of divisiveness that are tearing our country apart.”
