Tulsi Gabbard confirms she turned down RFK Jr's offer to be his running mate, but admits she is still willing to serve if Trump asks

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard confirmed Tuesday she turned down an offer from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his running mate, even as she signaled her willingness to serve in the position under former President Donald Trump.

'I met with Kennedy several times, and we have become good friends,' she said in a statement to ABC News. 'He asked if I would be his running mate. After careful consideration, I respectfully declined.'

Gabbard, a former Democratic Congresswoman for the state of Hawaii, piqued Kennedy's interest after she left the Democratic party in 2022 calling it an 'elitist cabal of warmongers.' 

Kennedy ultimately selected millionaire lawyer Nichole Shanahan as his running mate, after considering other prospects such as New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, and former Democratic candidate for president Andrew Yang.

Gabbard, however, appears open to the idea of serving as vice president or as a cabinet member for former President Donald Trump.

She spoke about the possibility in an interview in March with journalist Tucker Carlson. 

'I would be honored to serve our country in that way or other ways and to be in a position to help President Trump if he is reelected to actually address these challenges,' she said when asked if she would consider serving as a running mate for Trump. 

 Gabbard personally met with Trump within the last year and spoken with him on issues of foreign policy and the Pentagon, according to reports.

Many Trump supporters are fans of Gabbard's views on a more restrained foreign policy abroad and see her as a running mate that would appeal more to Democrats or Independents disappointed with President Joe Biden. 

Gabbard has also condemned the new 'woke' movement transforming the political left and frequently defends the right of free speech on social media.  

She also sparked interest as a vice presidential nominee for Trump after she spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, praising Trump's patriotism. 

'I've gotten a sense for what motivates him, and it's got nothing to do with what the Washington establishment is accusing him of,' she said about Trump. 'This is a fighter, his strength and resilience can only come from one place: Sincere love of country.' 

Once selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a rising star in the Democratic party, Gabbard lost support from Democratic leaders after she criticized the Obama administration's military actions in Syria in 2015. 

Gabbard further lost support from elites in the Democratic party after she resigned from her position at the Democratic National Committee in February 2016 and endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president instead of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Gbbard also ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic nomination president in 2020, famously tangling with then-Sen. Kamala Harris'  on the debate stage on whether the California senator could describe herself as a true progressive. 

If Trump selects Gabbard as his running mate, there would potentially be a debate rematch with Harris during the one and only scheduled vice presidential debate before the 2024 election.