Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi GabbardProgressives breathe sigh of relief after Afghan withdrawal Hillicon Valley: US has made progress on cyber but more needed, report says | Democrat urges changes for 'problematic' crypto language in infrastructure bill | Facebook may be forced to unwind Giphy acquisition YouTube rival Rumble strikes deals with Tulsi Gabbard, Glenn Greenwald MORE (D-Hawaii) said Friday she has decided to run for president in 2020.
"I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within the next week," she told CNN's Van Jones in an interview set to air Saturday.
"There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I'm concerned about and that I want to help solve," she said.
She listed access to health care, criminal justice reform and climate change as key issues.
The 37-year-old lawmaker is Congress’s first Hindu member and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"There is one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace," she added in the CNN interview. "I look forward to being able to get into this and to talk about it in depth when we make our announcement."
Gabbard joins what is expected to be a crowded Democratic presidential field in 2020, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrats confront 'Rubik's cube on steroids' The Trojan Horse of protectionism Federal Reserve officials' stock trading sparks ethics review MORE (D-Mass.) announcing a bid on New Year's Eve and others expected to jump in soon, such as Sen. Kamala Harris
Kamala HarrisCIA chief team member reported Havana syndrome symptoms during trip to India: report Harris booked for first in-studio talk show appearance as VP on 'The View' Republicans caught in California's recall trap MORE (D-Calif.).
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'RourkeAnti-Greg Abbott TV ad pulled minutes before college football game: Lincoln Project O'Rourke prepping run for governor in Texas: report Support for Abbott plunging in Texas: poll MORE (D-Texas) and former Vice President Joe Biden
Joe BidenHouse clears bill to provide veterans with cost-of-living adjustment On The Money — Dems dare GOP to vote for shutdown, default To reduce poverty, stop burdening the poor: What Joe Manchin gets wrong about the child tax credit MORE are also among those being floated as potential candidates.
Republicans immediately seized on Gabbard’s announcement Friday, using it to focus on her support within her party.
“Tulsi Gabbard has an even bigger problem than her lack of experience – it’s that she has no base of support,” Republican National Committee (RNC) spokesman Michael Ahrens argued in a statement. "Liberals think she’s too conservative, conservatives think she’s too liberal, and just about everyone thinks her coziness with Bashar al-Assad is disturbing.”
Gabbard faced criticism from many, including members of her own party, for meeting with the Syrian leader in January 2017, months before the Syrian government would be accused of a chemical weapons attack against its own people.
The RNC released a "cheat sheet" about Gabbard on Friday after her announcement, highlighting issues that could affect her 2020 chances and noted her meeting with Assad at the top of the list.
Updated: 7:43 p.m.
