Former Rep Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) warned at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden that a vote for Democrat nominee Kamala Harris was a vote for war.

Gabbard, who left the Democrat Party in 2022 and became a Republican last week, started her speech by reading a portion of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, and that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

“As we gather here today on this historic occasion, we stand together as proud Americans in understanding that these very rights are under attack,” she said. “So we face this historic crossroads where our freedom and our future is in our hands. There’s never been a more clear choice in any election in my life, and our ability to live in a truly peaceful and free and prosperous country is on the line.”

Gabbard highlighted her two decades of service in the U.S. military, saying that the issue of war was “very personal” to her.

“I’ve deployed to different war zones three times over that period, and I’ve seen the cost of war,” she said. “For my brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate price. I carry their memories and their sacrifice in my heart every day. So this choice that we have before us as Americans is critical. It’s important to us.”

“It’s important to those of us who serve, who have volunteered to put our lives on the line for the safety, security and freedom of our country and our people, and it’s critical to all of us,” she continued. “Here is the choice that we have a vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney and it’s a vote for war, more war, likely World War Three and nuclear war.”

“A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a man who wants to end wars, not start them, and who has demonstrated already that he has the courage and strength to stand up and fight for peace,” she added. “A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for open borders, where known violent criminals and Islamist terrorists are streaming across our borders, placing us at risk. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for secure borders and safe communities and a confidence that he will seek out those who seek to do us harm and get them out.”

WATCH:

.@TulsiGabbard’s full speech at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally pic.twitter.com/85qYl8MAUQ

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 27, 2024