Former Democratic Congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has officially endorsed former President Donald Trump in his bid to return to the White House on Monday. Gabbard, who has frequently criticized her party’s leadership and policies, announced her support during a Trump rally, citing concerns over national security and governmental overreach.

“She’s got great common sense, great spirit, and she loves our country,” Trump said before brining her on stage at the National Guard event in Michigan. Known for her unorthodox stances within the Democratic Party, Gabbard expressed that her decision was driven by a need to avert potential conflicts. “We have never been closer to the brink of nuclear war than now,” she stated. “This is one of the main reasons why I’m committed to doing all that I can to send President Trump back to the White House, where he can once again serve us as our Commander-in-Chief.”

“I am confident that his first task will be to do the work to walk us back from the brink of war,” Gabbard added. “We cannot be prosperous unless we are at peace. And we can’t live free as long as we have a government that is retaliating against its people.”

After serving from 2013 to 2021, Gabbard left the Democrat Party in 2022, criticizing it as an “elitist cabal of warmongers.” The alliance forms as Trump gears up for a critical debate showdown with Vice President Kamala Harris on September 10 at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia.

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Earlier this month, Trump joined forces with Gabbard to help for his debate preparations against Harris. Gabbard, who famously clashed with Harris during the 2019 Democratic presidential primary debates, is known for her critical stance on the Democrat Party, from which she distanced herself after her 2020 presidential bid.

According to The New York Times, Trump’s decision to bring Gabbard on board was influenced by her memorable performance in the CNN debate, where she sharply criticized Harris’s record as a prosecutor in California. During the 2019 Democrat debate confrontation, Gabbard accused Harris of contributing to the systemic failures of the criminal justice system, criticisms she is likely to reiterate as she helps Trump prepare. Gabbard’s critique left a lasting impression that Trump hopes to channel as he faces off against the vice president.

“Senator Harris says she’s proud of her record as a prosecutor and that she’ll be a prosecutor president, but I’m deeply concerned about this record,” Gabbard said during the debate. “There are too many examples to cite, but she put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.”

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Gabbard’s alignment with Trump, while surprising to some, aligns with her recent endeavors to carve out a niche within conservative circles, often appearing as a guest on various conservative media platforms. Her endorsement comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign and threw his full support behind Trump. Trump’s campaign has not shied away from leveraging such dynamics in the past, painting Harris and the current administration as out of touch with the foundational issues facing Americans.