Trump adds RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard to his transition team as he recruits supporters 'across partisan lines'
RFK Jr. and Gabbard, both former Democrats, endorsed Trump for president this month
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former President Trump has added former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard to his transition team, broadening his coalition of supporters "across partisan lines."
"As President Trumps’s broad coalition of supporters and endorsers expands across partisan lines, we are proud that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard have been added to the Trump/Vance Transition team," Trump campaign senior advisor Brian Hughes told Fox News Digital.
FORMER DEMOCRAT TULSI GABBARD ENDORSES TRUMP IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We look forward to having their powerful voices on the team as we work to restore America’s greatness," Hughes added.
RFK Jr., who began the 2024 cycle running for president as a Democrat, then shifted to run as an Independent, suspended his campaign last week and endorsed former President Trump—a historic move for a member of the Democrat Kennedy family dynasty.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, shakes hands with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz.
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard also switched party affiliation, and considers herself an Independent.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gabbard, a veteran and the former Democratic representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district, endorsed Trump this week.
"I am proud to stand here before you today, whether you're a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent," Gabbard said. "If you love our country, as I do, if you cherish peace and freedom as we do, I invite you to join me in doing all that we can to save our country and elect President Donald J. Trump and send him back to the White House to do the tough work of saving our country and serving the people."
Gabbard, who ran in the 2019 Democratic presidential primary against Kamala Harris, was recently recruited by Trump to help with debate prep ahead of his Sept. 10 face-off against the vice president at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump shakes hands with former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who endorsed Trump, at the National Guard Association of the United States' 146th General Conference, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
RFK JR DEFENDS ‘MAGA,’ TEASES MORE TO JOIN TRUMP ‘UNITY GOVERNMENT’
Meanwhile, RFK Jr. took to social media this week to give his own definition of "MAGA."
"'Make America Great Again' recalls a nation brimming with vitality, with a can-do spirit, with hope and a belief in itself. It was an America that was beginning to confront its darker shadows, could acknowledge the injustice in its past and present, yet at the same time could celebrate its successes," Kennedy wrote.
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"It was a nation of broad prosperity, the world's most vibrant middle class, and a [sic] idealistic belief (though not consistently applied) in freedom, justice, and democracy. It was a nation that led the world in innovation, productivity, and technology. And it was the healthiest country in the world. I have talked to many Trump supporters. I have talked with his inner circle. I have talked to the man himself. This is the America they want to restore."