Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announced on twitter Oct. 10 that she has been promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.
"This past Independence Day had special significance for me — while I was deployed to the Horn of Africa working as a Civil Affairs officer in support of a Special Operations mission to go after al-Qaeda affiliated jihadists, I was promoted … to Lieutenant Colonel on the 4th of July. The ceremony was quiet and informal. No fanfare. Just a handful of fellow soldiers present, and an opportunity for me to reflect on the great privilege I feel …in wearing the cloth of this country, a deep appreciation for the freedoms we cherish, and the solemn oath to defend those freedoms that I’ve committed my life to. #FREEDOM"
The day before she tweeted about her promotion, Gabbard, an Army Reserve officer who was a representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021, appeared on Fox News and criticized President Biden's immigration policies.
"The Biden-Harris administration has an open-door policy at the borders," the Hawaii Democrat said, while speaking on "Justice with Judge Jeanine." She said, "The reality is that people are being let in and crossing the border every single day."
"Actions speak louder and louder than words," Gabbard said. "It doesn't matter how many times Secretary [Antony] Blinken or Kamala Harris or anyone from the administration says, you know, don't come across the border."
She expressed frustration at the chaos seen on the border. "These drug cartels, these human traffickers, they are incredibly emboldened to the point where they feel that they can do this without consequence, where they feel they can continue profiting off of trafficking people across these borders that are essentially open," she said. "The fact is that the open-door policy that this administration has in place is creating a humanitarian crisis, as well as a very serious security threat for our country."
Gabbard accused Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of lying to Congress. "The Department of Homeland Security secretary recently told Congress: ‘Our borders are secure.’ This is what he said. ... The faith and trust that the American people need to have in our leaders is dropping every day," she said.
Gabbard was a candidate for the Democrat nomination in the 2020 presidential election. She was also deployed in Iraq in July 2004 for a 12-month tour, serving as a specialist with the Medical Company, 29th Support Battalion, and 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
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