OPINION:
‘For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind” is the name of a new book by former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. She has repeatedly said that she would be honored to be asked to serve on the ticket with former President Donald Trump. But it would be a bad pick for him to select her as his running mate.
In 2022, Ms. Gabbard announced that she had moved away from being a Democrat. At the time, she said she was no longer a Democrat because the party was “under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers who are driven by cowardly wokeness.”
While I am happy that the former member of Congress and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate has moved away from President Biden and his party, I still have concerns about Ms. Gabbard’s positions on several important issues. I frequently hear her criticizing Mr. Biden but have yet to hear her announce a change of heart on most of the positions she took while serving in the House of Representatives as a Democrat.
Her stance on abortion is a good example of where she is far from the position Mr. Trump held as president. Ms. Gabbard had a 100% record with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and 0% with National Right to Life.
While in Congress, Ms. Gabbard voted against Mr. Trump’s tax cuts. Americans for Prosperity gave her an 11% voting record, while the American Civil Liberties Union gave her 100%.
In the vote on the impeachment of Mr. Trump in 2018, Ms. Gabbard voted “present.” At the time, she said: “I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing. I could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting president must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country.”
Ms. Gabbard had a liberal voting record. The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization in the country, gave her an 84% ranking, while the Eagle Forum gave her 13%, Faith and Freedom gave her 9%, the American Family Council gave her 0% and the Christian Coalition also gave her 0%.
Other conservative groups had problems with her voting record too. The American Conservative Union/CPAC gave her 9%, Heritage Action gave her 7%, and the National Rifle Association gave her 0%. In contrast, Greenpeace gave her 70%. The National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers union, gave her 100%, as did the AFL-CIO.
Maybe she has changed her mind on these issues. I welcome her to the growing club of those of us who believe that Mr. Biden is an absolute failure as president and an embarrassment to the country. That said, I do not want someone with such a liberal voting record a heartbeat away from the Oval Office. It might be worth Mr. Trump nominating her to a position in the administration where her views match those of the president, but do not put her on the ticket. Lately, she has expressed an interest in serving as secretary of defense or secretary of state.
While I am grateful for her service in the armed forces, I would be concerned about her role in shaping policy in either of these areas considering her comments opposing some of Mr. Trump’s military and foreign policy decisions in the past.
Ms. Gabbard voted in favor of President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal. This was the agreement with Iran that supposedly imposed restraints on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions against the country. She criticized the Trump administration for withdrawing from it.
Later, she criticized the assassination of Iran’s Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, that was approved by Mr. Trump. She called it an act of war against Iran without a congressional declaration of war and a violation of the Constitution. These are just a few of the areas involved in national security and foreign policy where the former lawmaker has a disconnect with Mr. Trump.
A better fit for her would be to serve as secretary of veterans affairs. As a military veteran herself, Ms. Gabbard has been a fierce defender of service members, veterans and their families. She could do an excellent job in this important Cabinet position.
Looking ahead, Mr. Trump should consider someone to balance the ticket who matches his positions on key issues and is ready to serve as president of the United States. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum fit the bill. So do Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of Florida. The future president needs a running mate who will help articulate his plan to make America great again and then a partner to get it done right.
• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin.
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