Former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard are set to join former President Donald Trump's transition team as they work to shore up support in battleground states with 70 days to go until the election.
The announcement came after Democratic defectors enthusiastically endorsed the Republican candidates. Trump, 78, had already chosen his transition team before the pair's endorsements, but decided to add them after the big showing.
Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in American history, endorsed the former president on Friday after withdrawing from his own presidential campaign.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, made a surprise appearance at a National Guard conference in Detroit on Monday to endorse Trump.
“We are proud that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard have joined the Trump/Vance transition team as President Trump's broad, cross-party coalition of supporters and sympathizers grows,” Trump adviser Brian Hughes said.
“We look forward to adding their powerful voices to the team as we work to restore American greatness.”
According to a source close to the Trump campaign, the former Democrats plan to focus on key battleground states.
“We expect both RFK Jr. and Tulsi to be actively involved in Trump's campaign over the next two months. This is not a one-off endorsement — they are both fully part of the team and will be used regularly in battleground states,” the source said.
Hughes told The Washington Post that the pair would help rally voters against Vice President Kamala Harris' “destructive and authoritarian policies.”
“In addition to their endorsements, voters across the country will see RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard letting voters know that the nation's existential threat is posed by Kamala continuing the disastrous, authoritarian policies that Harris and Biden have implemented over the past four years,” the advisers said.
The transition team includes co-chairs Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick, who were leaders of Trump's former team, as well as honorary chairs including Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, and his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
The coalition will be responsible for vetting the incoming administration, developing policy plans and announcing policy at the White House so the president is ready to govern from day one.
RFK Jr. and Gabbard would round out a broad coalition of Trump supporters.
