Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has said she is willing to serve in a second Trump administration after condemning Democrats for pushing her out of the party.
Gabbard said her place on Trump’s transition team is her highest priority right now, but she wants to continue working with the former president after Election Day.
When Gabbard appeared on Fox News to discuss the Democratic Party’s treatment of female voters, she was asked near the end of the conversation by moderator Brian Kilmeade if she would like to serve in the former president’s hypothetical new cabinet.
The former Democrat said: “We are all very, very focused on winning this election, going out and telling voters the truth about Kamala Harris’ record and Donald Trump’s record. That will be an important task that will continue after Election Day.”
When Kilmeade asked, “That’s not a no. That means you’d be relatively open to it, right?” Gabbard replied that she would be.
Newsweek has emailed Gabbard’s team and the Trump team for comment.
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Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and criticized the Democratic Party for no longer having room for her. The former congresswoman ran for the party’s presidential nomination in 2020 and clashed on the debate stage with then-Senator Kamala Harris over the Californian’s record as attorney general.
Gabbard is not the only former Democrat who could be considered for a Cabinet post if Trump wins. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who participated in the Democratic primary earlier this election cycle before running as an independent, endorsed Trump in August after dropping out of the race.
In his statement of support, Kennedy stressed that he looked forward to working with Trump, particularly on food and drug policy, and signaled that he might also be interested in a related Cabinet role.
Harris also indicated that she is willing to appoint unusual political allies to her administration, saying she would consider appointing a Republican to her Cabinet if she wins the election in November.
In an interview with Dana Bash on CNN, the vice president said, “I think it would be for the good of the American public to have a member of my Cabinet who is a Republican.”
The top candidates for the post include Mitt Romney, John Kasich and Susan Collins.
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