Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard speaks at the Iowa Des Moins Register Soapbox on Friday, August 9th, 2019. The Des Moins Register Soapbox is an annual tradition of the Iowa State Fair where politicians speak to citizens and answer questions. (Tate Hildyard/ The Daily Iowan)
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
“Aloha.”
That’s how Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, began her speech at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on the afternoon of Aug. 9.
She focused her speech on her experience in the National Guard, outlining what her vision would be as commander-in-chief of the largest military in the world.
The crowd, which was the largest of the day, gave a round of applause when she said she enlisted in the National Guard. She asked crowd members to stand or raise their hands if they’d served in the military to another cheer from the crowd.
Gabbard said the issue central to any issue in America (cost of health care, immigration, etc.) is the cost of war, because of American lives lost and diverting money to the military that could go toward domestic issues. During her tour in Iraq, Gabbard said, she worked for a field medical unit and saw her brothers and sisters in uniform pay the “ultimate price” every day. She pledged to end what she called unnecessary wars, listing the conflicts fought in Iraq, Libya, and Syria.
“I’m committed to ending these wasteful wars,” Gabbard said.
Des Moines resident Terri Pollard said she was leaning toward supporting Gabbard before her speech, and she thought the candidate did very well.
“I think she came across very well … reminding us we have the power,” Pollard said. pic.twitter.com/Lv2NGzIHPi
— Daily Iowan Politics (@DIpolitics) August 9, 2019
“There’s just not enough money to build up our infrastructure,” she said. “Every time they tell you, sorry, there’s just not enough money — the reality is these same politicians are signing off on and approving spending trillions of our taxpayer dollars on paying for these wasteful, counterproductive wars.”
Gabbard asked if we have a government right now that is of, by, and for the people. The audience’s response was a resounding “no.” pic.twitter.com/bbytD13Fgd
— Daily Iowan Politics (@DIpolitics) August 9, 2019
She also pushed to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court decision and to remove dark money (donations that are difficult to trace to their source) from politics.
Gabbard supports universal health care with an option for private health care, she said.
“We need to make sure no one is turned away when they are sick and in need of care,” Gabbard said.
She would legalize marijuana, and she said she is the only candidate who introduced a bipartisan bill to decriminalize marijuana use, noting all the people who have been put in jail on basic marijuana charges.
Gabbard ended her speech the same way she began it: with a resounding “Aloha.”