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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 20 March 2020
Gabbard ends long-shot 2020 bid, throws support to Biden

By MEG KINNARD The Hawaii congresswom-
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — an has faced backlash for
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard her 2017 meeting in Syria
suspended her presidential with Syrian President Bashar
campaign on Thursday, Assad, whose govern-
ending a long-shot effort ment has been accused of
that saw her feuding with chemical weapons attacks
Hillary Clinton and raising against its own citizens.
fears among Democrats And with a primary chal-
that she would mount a lenge looming, she an-
third-party 2020 bid. nounced in October she
In an email and a video would not run for reelection
posted to Twitter, Gabbard to her Hawaii congressional
offered her full support to seat. Gabbard's decision
former Vice President Joe became public shortly af-
Biden, saying "it's clear that ter a public feud with Clin-
Democratic primary voters ton, the 2016 Democratic
have chosen" him to take presidential nominee. In a
on President Donald Trump podcast interview, Clinton
in November. appeared to call her "the
Noting their political differ- favorite of the Russians"
ences, Gabbard said she In this Feb. 8, 2020, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and said she believed Re-
respected Biden and had speaks during the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner in Manchester, N.H. publicans have "got their
confidence in the motiva- Associated Press eye on somebody who's
tions of his campaign effort. currently in the Democratic
"Although I may not agree tearing our country apart." for the health and wellbe- by voting "present" on the primary and are grooming
with the vice president on As the coronavirus out- ing of the people of Hawaii articles of impeachment her to be the third-party
every issue, I know that he break continues, Gabbard, and our country in Con- against Trump. candidate."
has a good heart, and he's a military veteran and a gress, and to stand ready Gabbard attracted a siz- Gabbard responded by
motivated by his love for major in the Army Nation- to serve in uniform should able following in New calling Clinton the "per-
our country and the Ameri- al Guard, said she would the Hawaii National Guard Hampshire, where she sonification of the rot that
can people," Gabbard focus on her continued be activated," said Gab- frequently campaigned has sickened the Demo-
said. "I'm confident that he service, including military bard, who served two tours ahead of the state's Feb- cratic Party for so long." In
will lead our country, guid- experience, should it be of duty in the Middle East. ruary primary. Some past January, she filed a defa-
ed by the spirit of aloha needed. During her candidacy, supporters of Vermont mation lawsuit against
respect and compassion, "I feel that the best way I Gabbard appeared often Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Clinton, saying Clinton's
and thus help heal the di- can be of service at this on Fox News Channel and state warmed to her cam- comments were based on
visiveness that has been time is to continue to work angered fellow Democrats paign over time, and she either her own imagination
espoused a similar outsider or "extremely dubious con-
approach to Sanders' 2016 spiracy theories" that any
run, which she supported. reasonable person would
She was also part of what know to be "inherently and
once was a historically di- objectively unreliable."
verse Democratic field and Asked to comment on the
the last of a half-dozen fe- lawsuit, Clinton spokesman
male candidates to depart Nick Merrill said, "That's ri-
the race. The 38-year-old diculous."
American Samoan's cam- As most of her Democratic
paign website described House colleagues voted
her as "the first Hindu to run to impeach Trump in De-
for president and first prac- cember, Gabbard chose
ticing Hindu in Congress." to vote present on the two
And as one of the young- articles of impeachment.
est candidates in the field, Former Hawaii Gov. Neil
Gabbard outlasted sena- Abercrombie called for
tors and governors who Gabbard to resign over the
came into the large Dem- vote and said she wasn't
ocratic primary race with doing her job representing
higher profiles. Hawaii.
Although she failed to qual- "Look, I did not take the
ify for any stage past the easy vote," Gabbard said
fifth debate, in November, after returning to the cam-
Gabbard was awarded paign trail. "I took the vote
two delegates once voting that I felt was in the best
began, according to The interest of our country and
Associated Press' count, standing in the center to
both in the March 2 con- be able to bring the coun-
test in her native American try together, to be able to
Samoa. begin this reconciliation
Yet Gabbard's 2020 cam- that I think is so necessary in
paign was also quick to at- this terribly divided moment
tract questions from voters. in our country." q