Former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard warns Donald Trump not to 'underestimate' Kamala Harris in September debate

Tulsi Gabbard is helping prepare Donald Trump to face off with Kamala Harris next week.

The Democrat-turned-independent former congresswoman from Hawaii warned against Trump – or others – underestimating Harris on the debate stage.

In just 10 days, Trump and Harris will be on the same stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for their first debate.

Gabbard has experience going up against Harris in two separate debates. They were on the same stage for the second debate of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race in Detroit, Michigan in July 2019 and the fourth debate of that cycle in Westerville, Ohio on October 15, 2019.

'I think Kamala Harris has a lot of experience. She is not to be underestimated,' Gabbard told CNN host Dana Bash during an interview on State of the Union on Sunday morning.

She added: 'If I can be helpful to President Trump in any way it really is just in sharing the experience that I had with her on that debate stage in 2020.'

Former Trump Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, 86, also issued a warning to Trump ahead of his debate against coming across as too 'strong' against Harris.

'The only danger is Trump being big and strong and a man,' Ross said during an interview on The Cats Roundtable on Sunday morning.

He continued: 'He has to be careful not to be seen as piling on a woman. People don't like to see a woman pushed too hard.'

Gabbard was running for the Democratic nomination in 2020, but in 2022 realigned her political party affiliation to an independent.

Bash noted the irony in Gabbard once running for White House as a Democrat and now helping a Republican candidate in his debate prep against her former primary rival.

The former Hawaii lawmaker said Trump's biggest advantage would be to focus on how Harris has already tried to distance herself from her record as vice president – including her failure as Biden's 'border czar.'

On August 26 of this year, Gabbard officially endorsed Trump's bid for a second, non-consecutive White House term.

A day later, Trump named her honorary co-chair of his presidential transition team.

This means Gabbard will join Trump's sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance leading the former president's team preparing for his transition to the White House should he win in November.

Gabbard is a Lieutenant Colonel of the Army Reserves and served as a U.S. Representative for Hawaii for four terms from 2013 to 2021 as a Democrat.

She told Bash that she has not discussed with Trump her role past the transition team – including whether or not she might serve in his administration if he wins.