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Tulsi Gabbard, former Democratic candidate for president, joins Republican party at Trump rally

Tulsi Gabbard, former Democratic candidate for president, joins Republican party at Trump rally

Former Democratic candidate for president and independent Tulsi Gabbard formally announced she is joining the Republican Party at a Trump rally on Tuesday. The rally was held in Greensboro, North Carolina, a key swing state in the upcoming election. Gabbard recently joined the Trump campaign as an honorary co-chair for the former president’s transition team alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., another former Democrat. TULSI GABBARD SAYS SHE WOULD BE ‘HONORED’ TO JOIN A POTENTIAL TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Gabbard cited her admiration for President Trump’s leadership “to transform the Republican Party and bring it back to the party of the people and the party of peace” in part for her decision. “I’m proud to stand here with you today, President Trump, and announce that I’m joining the Republican Party. I am joining the party of the people,” said Gabbard. “The party of equality. The party that was founded to fight against and end slavery in this country. It is the party of common sense and the party that is led by a president who has the courage and strength to fight for peace,” added Gabbard. “Thank you very much, Tulsi. That’s great. Wow, that was a surprise,” said Trump. “That was really, she’s been independent for a long time. That’s a great thing. A great honor. Thank you very much, Tulsi.” FORMER DEMOCRAT TULSI GABBARD ENDORSES TRUMP IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE Tulsi Gabbard served as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 through 2016 before resigning to officially endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) for president. Gabbard, who ran in 2020’s presidential election as a Democrat, took on then-candidate Kamala Harris with force at a primary debate, tearing apart her career as a prosecutor and California attorney general. At the time, Gabbard called out Harris’ for prosecuting numerous marijuana-related cases to convictions and her impact on the cash bail system in California. Ultimately, Gabbard left the Democrat party in 2022, declaring herself an independent. In the time since, she has started her own podcast and spoken at conservative events.  Gabbard represented Hawaii’s Second District in Congress from 2013 through 2021 as a Democrat. She serves in the U.S. Army Reserves with the rank of lieutenant colonel. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Representatives for Tulsi Gabbard did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

DeSantis campaigns against high-stakes abortion measure on Florida ballot: ‘Bait and switch’ legislation

DeSantis campaigns against high-stakes abortion measure on Florida ballot: ‘Bait and switch’ legislation

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis lasered in on the high-stakes abortion amendment on the ballot for voters in the Sunshine State, calling the measure a “bait and switch.” Amendment 4, which would end Florida’s six-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion in the state’s constitution, has been a pressure-point as Election Day nears.  On Tuesday, DeSantis held a press conference at the Grove Bible Chapel in Winter Garden, called “Doctors Against Amendment 4,” to urge voters to vote “No” on the abortion amendment. The governor was joined by nearly a dozen doctors against the amendment. “When people actually peel back the onion and see what this amendment is, they don’t like it,” he said. “And it loses a lot of support.” DESANTIS ADMIN BLOCKED FROM THREATENING TV STATION OVER PRO-ABORTION ADS DeSantis put the amendment on blast, condemning the legislation’s “vague language,” noting it could be read to allow elective abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy as deemed necessary by employees of abortion clinics, rather than solely doctors.  “It’s interesting because it’s written with no definitions,” he said. “It’s intentionally vague and deceptive… All they’re doing is lying about Florida policies and laws about respecting life, both the life of the mother and the health of the mother, of course, but also the life of the child.” The amendment also does not define viability, typically understood to be around 20 to 25 weeks, DeSantis said. DeSantis also said that the amendment does not define “health care provider.” “[Amendment 4] It says that an abortion can be greenlit all the way to the moment of birth by a ‘health care provider’,” he said. “That’s the term that they used. Well, a health care provider is not the same as a licensed physician.” “Florida law has always required that licensed physicians be the ones to be involved in performing these procedures. Some of them are very, very high risk. Sometimes there are a lot of complications that can happen,” he said. “So you will have nonmedical doctors doing this.  “I don’t know that there’s any other state that has ever gone down that road.” TRUMP’S FLORIDA ALLIES OPPOSE ABORTION AMENDMENT AS FORMER PRESIDENT DECIDES HOW TO VOTE DeSantis said that another concern brought by the amendment is its language regarding minors getting abortions.  The text says that the amendment would not change the legislature’s ability to require parents to be notified about a minor’s abortion. However, it leaves out the legislature’s authority to require parental consent for such a procedure. DeSantis has criticized the proposed amendment as a “bait and switch” when it comes to parental rights.  “This amendment, if adopted, would be the first amendment in the history of the state of Florida to actually repeal a right. It will repeal the right of a parent to have to provide consent before their child undergoes an abortion,” he said. “Right now in Florida, we have parental consent, not just for abortion, but for anything involving medical treatment for a minor. They can’t give your kid an aspirin unless you consent.” “And that’s the way it should be for parents. And yet, this amendment would permanently take this one issue and say the parents do not have the right to be in that decision-making process or to provide consent.” DeSantis pointed to the difference between parental notification and parental consent. “What this amendment does, it gives a little bait and switch. The legislature says it requires parental notification, but that’s not the same as consent,” he said. “Notification can be sent via a postcard.” “The parent knows this is happening, but the parent can’t stop it,” DeSantis said. “The parent doesn’t have the authorization and is not required to provide authorization. So it is repealing the right of a parent to provide consent for the minor.” Florida is one of the nine states with a measure on the Nov. 5 ballot to protect access to abortion. In Florida, the hot-button issue has been the most expensive – with about $150 million in ads, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact. The amendment’s language states, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” Former President Trump has shifted his stance on abortion during the election cycle, with the Republican nominee hoping to attract independents and some disillusioned Democrats, but running the risk of alienating his pro-life base. Trump has countered Democratic attacks on the former president’s abortion stance by stating he would leave abortion access to the states, as determined by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Trump notably opposes a federal abortion ban, but has remained opposed to late-term abortions. In July, the Republican Party abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortions.  Throughout Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, she has argued that Trump — who nominated three conservative justices to the Supreme Court who later voted to overturn Roe v. Wade — is responsible for worsening medical care for women and that he would seek further restrictions. Harris has cast her position on the topic as creating legislation to restore the national abortion right that was eliminated following Roe v. Wade.  She has also vowed to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, calling the drug “essential medication.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Biden calls for Trump to be ‘politically’ locked up at New Hampshire event

Biden calls for Trump to be ‘politically’ locked up at New Hampshire event

President Biden on Tuesday called for his predecessor to be “politically” locked up during an event in New Hampshire’s capital, a phrase similar to former President Trump’s 2016 call to imprison Hillary Clinton, then his Democratic opponent.  Biden was in Concord to tout his health care and prescription drug cost legislation when he said Trump wants to eliminate his political adversaries and detractors.  “He thinks he has a version of the Supreme Court ruling on immunity to be able to, if need be, if it was the case, to actually eliminate, physically eliminate, shoot, kill someone who is, he believes to be a threat to him,” Biden told his supporters.  A TRUMP MYSTERY MAKES ELECTION OUTCOME EVEN MURKIER “I know this sounds bizarre. It sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up,” he added. “We got to lock him up. Politically lock him up. Lock him out. That’s what we have to do.” Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris have repeatedly warned voters that Trump poses a threat to democracy. Trump’s supporters have blamed similar rhetoric for the two failed assassination attempts on his life. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump campaign.  HARRIS SUPPORT FOR EVS COULD TANK CAMPAIGN IN CRITICAL SWING STATE, EXPERT SAYS Biden’s remarks were similar to Trump’s often-repeated plea during his 2016 campaign against Clinton to imprison her.  “Lock her up! Lock her up!” chants became commonplace at Trump rallies. Biden also said that Trump-supporting Republicans have anti-democratic attitudes.  “We’re dealing with a totally different breed of cat now,” he said. “That was— the civil rights era was terrible. But we got a group now that is just literally, and I’m not one that is prone to hyperbole, but we have a a group running the MAGA Republicans who are have an anti-democratic attitude toward the way the Constitution functions.”