Democrat-turned Independent Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman from Hawaii, is endorsing former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Gabbard served as the Democratic representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021, but announced her exit from the party in 2022 after denouncing it as an "elitist cabal of warmongers."

The former Democrat, who ran in the 2019 Democratic presidential primary against Harris, was recently recruited by Trump to help with debate prep ahead of his September 10 face-off against the vice president at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia.

The conference — which is the association’s annual business meeting — began Friday at Huntington Place, the Motor City’s main convention center. More than 4,200 Guard officers, their spouses and other guests are registered to attend.

Besides association business, the conference agenda includes Pentagon leaders and lawmakers every year. During presidential election years, NGAUS also invites the Democratic and Republican nominees for president.

The association has hosted at least one major party candidate in every presidential election year since 1992.

Trump spoke to the NGAUS conference in Baltimore, Maryland, when he was the Republican nominee for president in 2016.

"Members of the National Guard are more than defenders of democracy, we’re all participants," said retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGAUS president. "We want to know how the next administration will support the National Guard and whether the Guard will continue its prominent role in the National Defense Strategy.

"We’re looking forward to hearing what President Trump has to say," he added.

The association also invited Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, to speak at this year's conference.

The rest of the business agenda for this weekend's conference is available at www.ngaus.org/146th-general-co....nference-exhibition-
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