Tulsi Gabbard 2020: Democrat 'Seriously Considering' Presidential Run, She Says

Tulsi Gabbard, Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday that she was “seriously considering” running for the White House in 2020.

Responding to the question on her presidential ambitions, she said, “I’m concerned about the direction of our country. I’m thinking through it very carefully.” She also said she did not know if there were any hindrances to her candidacy.

In an interview with Honolulu Star-Advertiser earlier this month, she said she was “seriously thinking of how I can best be of service to our country.”

Gabbard supported independent Sen. Bernie Sanders for 2016 run for the Democratic nomination. When asked if Sanders' potential 2020 run would influence her decision, she said, “I think you’ll have to ask him about what his plans are. I’m thinking through how I can best be of service to our country.”

Earlier this month, Gabbard conducted a question-and-answer session with members of the New Hampshire Young Democrats in Manchester during which she said, “it is painful and disheartening to me to see the direction of our country today. To see how much divisiveness and hatred is being fomented by those who wish to tear us apart.”

Speaking about her support for “Medicare for all” bill in the House of Representatives, she said, “Ending Citizens United continues to be an issue and now the Democrats are in the majority in the House, we have an opportunity to put forward legislation we’ve never been able to bring to the House floor before to address that.”

Gabbard, who served two tours of duty in the Middle East as part of the Hawaii Army National Guard, spoke about her numerous life experiences. She said her tours of duty in the Middle East, “caused me to really deeply reflect and be introspective on the values and beliefs that I had grown up with.”

“It was a process that I went through that changed my views in many ways, and many big ways, to the views that I hold today. And for those critics, I ask them to look at my record. I’ve served in Congress now for six years and have a strong record which reflects what I’ve just shared,” she added.

Gabbard co-founded an environmental non-profit called Healthy Hawai’i Coalition when she was a teen. At the age of 21, she was elected to the Hawaii State Legislature.

“Tulsi brings with her a broad range of real world experience, a storehouse of personal strength, and tested leadership as she represents the people of Hawai’i and our nation in Congress. As she works on the challenges that face our country, she remains focused on bringing her pragmatic approach to working in a collaborative, bipartisan fashion to find real solutions that best serve the people," her official biography reads.