>> THIS IS A WMUR COMMITMENT 120 SPECIAL.
CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE, TONIGHT, REPRESENTATIVE -- COMMITMENT 2020 SPECIAL, TONIGHT, CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE, REPRESENTATIVE TULSI GABBARD.
>> TONIGHT WE WILL BE GETTING TO KNOW REPRESENTATIVE GABBARD AND WHERE SHE STANDS ON KEY ISSUES.
AT THE START OF OUR SHOW I WILL ASK THE CANDIDATE SOME QUESTIONS, AFTER THE BREAK WE WILL HAVE THE STUDIO AUDIENCE ASK THEIR QUESTIONS.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT HER BIOGRAPHY.
TULSA GABBARD W BORN IN AMERICAN SAMOA IN 1981.
WHEN SHE WAS TWO HER FAMILY MOVED TO HAWAII.
AS A TEENAGER SHE COFOUNDED A NONPROFIT, FOCUSED ON EDUCATING YOUNGSTERS ABOUT PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT.
SHE WAS ELECTED TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THE YOUNGEST PERSON EVER ELECTED IN THE STATE.
SHE JOINED THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD AND INTO THOUSAND TWO VOLUNTEERED TO DEPLOY.
IN BETWEEN SINCE OVERSEAS, SHE WAS A LEGISLATIVE AIDE TO DANIEL AKAKA, AND WAS LATER ELECTED TO THE HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM HAWAII’S
CAN DISTRICT -- SECOND DISTRICT.
SHE HAS BEEN REELECTED THREE TIMES.
SHE SERVES ON THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE.
SHE’S A GRADUATE OF HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY AND IS MARRIED TO ABRAHAM WILLIAMS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
REP. GABBARD: IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK.
>> YOU ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN A SORT -- WHAT AMOUNT OF TIME AND YOU WILL BE CONTINUING TO SERVE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
BUT YOU ARE OVER THAT CONSTITUTIONAL AGE THRESHOLD A FEW YEARS AND WHAT YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAY WE NEED SOMEONE WITH MORE LIFE EXPERIENCE?
REP. GABBARD: I WOULD SAY TO LOOK AT THE EXPERIENCE I’VE HAD.
I’VE SERVED THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CITY COUNCILS IN THE COUNTRY.
MY DISTRICT ALONE REPRESENTED ABOUT 100,000 PEOPLE.
AND NOW SERVING IN CONGRESS FOR SEVEN YEARS, REALLY FOCUSED ON NATIONAL SECURITY.
SERVING ON THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND ARMED SERVICES AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEES.
THOSE EXTREMES IS COMBINED WITH WHAT I BRING AS A SOLDIER, EXPERIENCE I’VE HAD DEPLOYING TWICE TO THE MIDDLE EAST, UNDERSTANDING THE COST OF WAR, THE CONSEQUENCES, AND WHO PAYS
THE PRICE.
GIVE ME THAT BACKGROUND, AND FRANKLY THE CONVICTION NECESSARY TO WALK INTO THE OVAL AUCTION -- OVAL OFFICE TO FULFILL THEIR SPOTS ABILITY OF COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
>> SOME FEEL THIS IS TAKING THE DEMOCRATS TOO FAR TO THE LEFT BUT THERE IS UNDENIABLE ENERGY AROUND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND OTHERS WHO OPENLY IDENTIFY AS DEMOCRATIC-SOCIALIST, IS THAT
THE FUTURE OF THE PARTY?
REP. GABBARD: I DON’T KNOW.
BUT I THINK INSTEAD OF BEING FOCUSED ON WHICH LABEL OR SUBSECTION OF THE PARTY YOU BELONG TO, LET’S FOCUS ON SERVING PEOPLE.
LET’S FOCUS ON DEALING WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT FAMILIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY ARE STRUGGLING WITH , AND WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS.
IF YOU ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT IDEOLOGIES OR REACHING ACROSS THE ISLAND WORKING WITH REPUBLICANS, WE HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN DELIVER RESULTS AND SOLVE
THESE CHALLENGES THAT REALLY WE HAVE BEEN DEBATING IN FAR TOO MANY ELECTIONS.
>> IT’S CLEAR YOU WILL GO YOUR OWN WAY AND DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT.
AS YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DEBATE, WE’VE SEEN CANDIDATES ATTACK YOU OVER YOUR MEETING IN SYRIA.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS OVER THAT MEANING?
FACING THE QUESTIONS YOU ARE FACING.
I KNOW YOU DON’T WANT AMERICA TO BE THE WORLD’S POLICEMAN, BUT THE POLITICAL CLASS YOU’RE PAYING NOW, DO YOUR WORK AT THE MEETING?
REP. GABBARD: I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE POLITICAL COST.
I CARE ABOUT WAS DOING WHAT’S BEST FOR OUR COUNTRY.
IF IT MEANS MEETING WITH 100 DICTATORS IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE UNNECESSARY LOSS-OF-LIFE OF EVEN ONE OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN UNIFORM, I WILL DO WHAT’S NECESSARY.
BECAUSE I KNOW THE REALITY, WHICH IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE TO DIPLOMACY IS WAR.
FOR TOO LONG WE HAVE HAD LEADERS WILL HAVE LACKED THE COURAGE TO MEET WITH THOSE, ADVERSARIES, OR DICTATORS, IN THE INTEREST OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY, KEEPING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SAFE.
AND IN THE INTEREST OF PEACE.
THIS IS THE LEADERSHIP I SEEK TO BRING, THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP WE NEED, ESPECIALLY AS WE SEE INCREASING TENSIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND NUCLEAR ARMED COUNTRIES LIKE RUSSIA AND CHINA
WHICH ARE PUSHING US CLOSER TO THE BRINK OF NUCLEAR TO CAST -- CATASTROPHE.
WE DON’T NEED LEADERS WHO WILL PRETEND TO ACT TOUGH WITHOUT THINKING OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS AND HOW IT IS MAKING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE LESS SAFE.
THE KIND OF FOREIGN POLICY LEADERSHIP THAT I WILL BRING IS FOCUSED ON COOPERATION, RATHER THAN CONFLICT.
STOPPING THE WORLDS PLEASE, ENDING REGIME CHANGE WARS AND DE-ESCALATING TENSIONS, SO WE CAN WORK TOWARDS A FUTURE THAT IS PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS.
ADAM: DOES THE PRESIDENT HAVE TO DRAW A LINE AND SAM WILL NOT MEET -- DRAW A LINE AND SAY THEY WILL NOT MEET WITH THIS PERSON WHO IS NOT BRINGING PEACE TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE?
REP. GABBARD: I’M NOT SURE THAT IS IN THE INTEREST OF PEACE.
YOU DON’T AVOID OR PREVENT WAR BY HANGING OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS , OR TALKING TO YOUR ALLIES.
THAT’S LITERALLY THE OBJECTIVE OF DIPLOMACY, TO MEET WITH THOSE LEADERS WHO YOU DISAGREE WITH, TO PREVENT OR BRING ABOUT AN END TO BRING ABOUT WAR OR CONFLICT.
I LOOK BACK TO JFK WHO MET WITH KHRUSHCHEV, REAGAN WHO WORKS WITH GORBACHEV IN PASSING THE HISTORIC IMF TREATY THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS JUST TORN UP AND WALKED AWAY FROM.
SPARKING OFF A NEW NUCLEAR ARMS RACE.
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF LEADERS IN OUR HISTORY WHO HAS PUT THE INTEREST OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FIRST, WITHOUT REGARD TO WHETHER THAT DECISION IS POLITICALLY POPULAR
OR NOT.
THAT’S THE LEADERSHIP THAT INSPIRES ME, AND THAT’S THE WAY I WILL MAKE MY DECISIONS.
PUTTING COUNTRY AND OUR PEOPLE FIRST.
ADAM: THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING.
THE TOWN HALL AWAITS.
AFTER THE BREAK, WE BRING OUR STUDIO AUDIENCE TO THE CONVERSATION.