it's my party and i'll leave if i want to

Tulsi Gabbard exits Democratic Party: 'An elitist cabal of warmongers'

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) is leaving the Democratic Party, the former 2020 presidential candidate announced Tuesday.

In a video posted on Twitter, Gabbard, 41, said she can no longer remain in a party "now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue and stoke anti-white racism," undermine Americans' "God-given freedoms," "demonize" the police but protect criminals, encourage open borders, "weaponize" national security for politics' sake, and push the country "ever closer to nuclear war."

"I believe in a government that is of, by, and for the people. Unfortunately, today's Democratic Party does not," Gabbard continued, before calling on her "fellow common sense independent-minded Democrats" to join her, especially if they can "no longer stomach the direction that so-called woke Democratic Party idelogues are taking our country."

Though Gabbard ran as a Democrat in the 2020 election, she has often criticized and questioned the party and its leaders on various issues and topics, NBC News notes.

Fox News' Emily Compagno on Tuesday described Gabbard's defection as "a fiery takedown ahead of the midterms," per Mediaite. The former congresswoman will discuss her announcement with network host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday's episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight. Gabbard has appeared on Fox News multiple times before.

She spoke further about her decision with podcast host Joe Rogan in an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience released Tuesday.