Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) responded to Rep. Cori Bush’s (D-MO) recent attack on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) by saying that the attack was rooted in a “lack of a spiritual foundation.”
Gabbard was asked by Fox News host Steve Hilton to respond to Bush calling Manchin’s opposition to President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act “anti-black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant.”
“It really just shows again, that this is a symptom of a deeper, a lack of a spiritual foundation,” Gabbard said, “where if you’re not able to see someone, regardless of party politics, regardless of your position, whether you agree or disagree, if you’re not able to see another person, as a child of God, as someone that you can respect at that fundamental level, as a fellow American, then this is where we see all of this darkness coming from.”
“And so it’s no wonder as you were talking about the results in Virginia, that people chose to respond positively towards that message of hope, and optimism for our future, that message of coming together. That message of care and respect for all people,” Gabbard continued. “And this is again, this is where, this is where I find hope for our future. If we go back to those fundamental values and principles of who we really are, then this is how we can come together.”
WATCH:
TRANSCRIPT:
STEVE HILTON, FOX NEWS HOST: Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Aloha, Tulsi.
FORMER REP. TULSI GABBARD (D-HI): Aloha, Steve.
HILTON: I always say aloha. And I know it might be grating for some people, I do it because I love Hawaii, I go there often, it feels natural to me. But there’s something that I’d like you to talk about a bit because it means something. It’s not just a greeting, it means something about how we behave towards other people. And I think you really deeply understand that and conveyed that with your reaction to these results. So I’d love you to just tell us, tell us at more length how you feel.
GABBARD: Thank you, Steve. First of all, it’s impossible to say aloha without smiling and bring a smile to someone else’s face. And there’s a reason for that, because it has a very deep and powerful meaning in that when you greet someone with aloha, you’re saying I recognize that we are all children of God. We are all brothers and sisters, we’re all connected. And I come to you with respect, and love and care. And that’s really what what it comes down to is, everyone wants to be happy. And so it’s no wonder that we find ourselves in a place where we are miserable and we are stressed out and frustrated when it seems like everywhere we turn we see politicians, social media, mainstream media, fomenting fear and anger, hatred, divisiveness, racializing, everything. So when we have leaders who step forward, who sincerely want to do what’s right for the people, who care and treat us with respect, allowing the light of God’s love to shine through, this is where we see there is cause for hope, and optimism and the ability for us to come together as a people to move forward.
HILTON: Exactly. And I just want to put, just put this up on screen. So it was the exact opposite of what you’re talking about. But I think it’s important. I’d love your response. It’s such an important thing for everyone to see that this is the way some Democrats speak. This is Cori Bush, okay, Representative Cori Bush, speaking about a disagreement with Joe Manchin, her colleague on the spending bill; this is how she put it: “Joe Manchin, in opposition to the Build Back Better Act is anti-black, anti-child, anti-woman, anti-immigrant.” I saw that and I thought, honestly, like, you can have legitimate disagreements over policy–
GABBARD: Yes.
HILTON: –you can. And so I want everyone to understand that what you’re talking about is not some Kumbaya, everyone’s just get along and we don’t disagree. Of course, we disagree. Politics is about disagreement, and who’s got the best plan and so on. But you don’t have to do it like that, to call someone you disagree, “anti-black, anti-woman.” I just couldn’t believe that.
GABBARD: It really just shows again, that this is a symptom of a deeper, a lack of a spiritual foundation, Steve, where if you’re not able to see someone, regardless of party politics, regardless of your position, whether you agree or disagree, if you’re not able to see another person, as a child of God, as someone that you can respect at that fundamental level, as of as a fellow American, than this is where we see all of this darkness coming from. And so it’s no wonder as you were talking about the results in Virginia, that people chose to respond positively towards that message of hope, and optimism for our future, that message of coming together that message of care and respect for all people. And this is again, this is where, this is where I find hope for our future. If we go back to those fundamental values and principles of who we really are, then this is how we can come together.
HILTON: And it’s just, the last quick point Tulsi, is just the way that, you know, we have to engage with each other on the basis of good faith. Just you say, Okay, I don’t agree with what you’re saying. But it’s not because I think you’re a bad person. I just don’t think you’re going about it the right way.
GABBARD: And have the conversation. I think it’s important at a time like this to remember the words of Patrick Henry, in the Federalist Papers. He said let us trust God and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand; divided we fall, let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs. We have to be able to come together recognizing what’s at stake, the peril of our future, if we don’t come together.
HILTON: Exactly, beautifully put. I really appreciate what you had to say this week, and it was great to see tonight, Tulsi. See you soon.