In a bizarrely timed announcement, Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard told CNN late on Friday that she was running for president in 2020, a move that was met with widespread derision.
Among other things, progressives quickly noted that Gabbard has cozied up to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad on a secret trip to Syria two years ago; has cultivated violent Hindu nationalists in India; spent years as a virulent anti-gay activist, even when she served in the Hawaii legislature; was one of the first (and only) Democrats to meet with Donald Trump after he won in 2016; refused to sign a letter from 169 House Democrats denouncing Trump for appointing white nationalist Steve Bannon to a White House job; carried water for Republican megadonor and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson by introducing a bill to outlaw online gambling; has refused to sign on to an assault weapons ban; attacked Barack Obama for refusing to use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism"; is beloved by conservatives; is beloved by top American Nazi Richard Spencer; is beloved by former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke; voted to make it all but impossible for Syrian refugees to settle in the U.S.; and told a reporter in 2016 that her "personal views" opposing abortion rights "haven't changed." Oh, and she once skipped a hearing on the VA crisis to shoot a surfing video with Yahoo News.
As Gabbard heads off to do whatever it is presidential candidates do, though, the future of her House seat remains a burning question. Under Hawaii law, Gabbard can seek both the presidency and re-election at the same time, and if—this is going to be the most generous "if" we've ever written—she performs poorly in the primaries, she could come back home to run for a fourth term in the House. (Hawaii's own congressional primary usually isn't until August.)
But while Gabbard's busy snarfing corn dogs in Des Moines, that leaves room for a smart, ambitious progressive to lay the groundwork for a primary challenge of their own, with the very convincing argument that Gabbard is more interested in her national profile than the people of Hawaii's 2nd District. So far, Gabbard's litany of sins haven't hurt her standing locally—she easily brushed aside an opponent in last year's primary—but she's about to face far more scrutiny than ever before. Progressives everywhere will be eagerly waiting to see what unfolds next.
