Aloha. Rep. Gabbard thank you. Love you back. Aloha. What a Beautiful Day to be in new hampshire. You have it going on, sir. It is wonderful to join you for this very important and relevant conversation. I want to say a brief thank you to my friend for the kind introduction and laying out what we are facing in the country. F. It is a choice that all of you have here as voters. First of the nation. I want to say thank you to Nancy Jackson for jacobson for her leadership and or ability to solve problems. That is what we are here for. [applause] solving problems, imagine that, what a concept. Unfortunately, it is now a we are seeing very often in washington. The way we bring about this change is doing exactly what we are doing here today, coming together as americans, focusing on how best we can serve the interest of the people in our country and solve these longstanding challenges we have faced. I want to start our conversation today with aloha. It is not just because i am from oid hawaii. Just mean hello or goodbye, it has a more powerful meeting. We start and close conversations with aloha because it means i come to you with respect. I come to you with an open heart. I come to you recognizing that we are all brothers and sisters. We are all children of god. We are all connected, regardless of where we come from, the color how we worship, who we worship, how we live our lives. All of this is set aside because we recognize each other for who we really are. We treat each other with respect. What iser of aloha is the answer to our being able to move forward as fellow americans, as a country and to begin to heal these very divisive ones we are seeing that have been tearing us apart. This aloha spirit is what i brought with me to congress when i was elected, recognizing the power it could have. Recognizing that i was walking in their facing gridlock. The spirit of aloha would be able to change that. One thing that was disheartening to me is very quickly after washington, i was elected as a part of 84 new members of congress. Tulsi gabbard. We were figuring out where we needed to go and offices and all of these things. All of the sudden, that changed. Literally, one day we were told democrats, you are going here. Republicans, youre going here. That is what began to divide. We were told by leaders from both of our respective parties that you dont really want to work with those other guys. You might help them win election. Even if it is a good idea, lets wait and reintroduce that dont work a good idea from a fellow democrat. Dont vote for a republican bill, lets vote for the democratic. We had toing told choose our sides, stay with our team. This coming as we were taking her oath of office, swearing to support and defend the constitution. Taking an of not to a political oath not to a Political Party but to defend the constitution. I was thinking about the mandate my constituents have for me. Sending me to washington to solve problems and get things done. I was thinking about how i could actually do that. Told is you are a Democrat Freshman coming into a strong republican majority. It does not have a lot of political clout. Dont even try to get a bill passed. It is impossible. See what you can do, you can give speeches or advocate for your constituents but dont try to get legislation passed. Wait until the democrats are in charge again and then you can get to work. That was unacceptable to me. That was not why my constituents voted for me. Begin with universal knowage of food to get to my new colleagues. How many of you speak that language . That is what i am talking about. Call back on act home. Phone call to my mom back ho back home. This white to make chocolate almond toffee. She said that is a great idea. I asked her if she would make 435 larger boxes for every member of the staff of congress. Yes. Force served as a staffer the u. S. Senator. She paused to say that my take a little bit longer but of course. Absolutely. She was back in hawaii and onering to pots two pots the stove, choppy macadamia nuts. The father was the Quality Control officer. I started writing handwritten notes in washington introducing myself. In the process, i was learning more about them, where they come from, what interests or committees they served on. And then at the bottom of that note i wrote i look forward to serving on saturday. It was amazing how quickly i got responses. I saw some of my republican colleagues making that long walk across the floor from the republican side to the democratic side looking for me, finding me and saying thank you. I ate all theg toffee, i have to find out how i can take some home to my family. Then they estimate what are your constituents asked me what my constituent in hawaii were concerned about. They said bus talk and see how we can Work Together. Together. Work the power of that simple gesture of reaching out with aloha, colleagues on both sides of the aisle. There may be those that have strong disagreements with me about a variety of issues. Maybe, maybe issues many issues but if we can treat each other with respect and see each other as fellow americans and remembering that mission that we have all been entrusted with, to serve the people of this country, this is what is necessary for us to actually accomplished that mission. That is how we get things done. That is exactly what happened. Even for the first six years that has served as a member of congress, serving as a democrat in the minority with a republican majority, i have been able to beat effective for my constituent in hawaii. We have been able to pass legislation. First bill i introduced into law. The helping heroes fly act within my first year in office. A bill that serves severely Wounded Warriors and veterans. That is how. I can make those calls. I can have them returned. That is what is needed to pass big bills. Education bills, important bills. You can work with republicans on issues about civil liberties, but touching or a Fourth Amendment rights. Working together on issues like criminal justice reform. An issue where we are seeing growing partisan support from all parts of the country. Only byecognizing that working together can we passed such important legislation. Now, as we look forward, especially in this election, you are hearing a lot from all of the different candidates about plans. There are a lot of plans being put forward. I have my on ideas and my own plans i am putting forward about thei seek to solve challenges. As president you cannot singlehandedly snap your fingers and say my plan will now be law. This works. How you have to be able to work with congress. People sometimes forget that we have three coequal branches of government. You have to be able to talk with leaders in congress, both democrats, republicans and independents. The very foundation of education is respect. You really think you will be able to work with those are of a Different Party those who are a Different Party if you spend every day disrespecting them and calling them names . We treat each other with respect. We can recognize our best to differences and how we will solve the problems that we face but we can come together based on the focus we should all have. That every leader should have. Actually serving the needs of the American People. Not the needs of one party over the other but serving the needs of the American People. This is the type of leadership i seek to bring as our president. Actually serving all americans. Use experience that i have from serving as a soldier when the plot. When deployed. Different races, ethnicities, religion, not seeing any of that standing as one. All of us focused on the mission that we have to serve our country and to be willing to put our lives on the line to do so. Of service andit that focus on what unites us as american. That is what i will bring to the presidency. Fulfilling what is in that oath that we take. Supporting and defending our constitution. Within my first week as president , i will call for a meeting with leaders of both Political Parties to begin to establish this relationship based on respect. Much like i did as a member of congress. I will make sure we hold at least one meeting every month to check on issues that we are working on. We will try to resolve differences that we have so that we can actually move forward in passing legislation that will serve the best interests of all americans. I will bring this same culture of leadership to my cabinet. Making sure that all of those focusedpoint are solely on serving the interest of American People. Not their own selfish interests or lining their pockets or getting a good bullet on their resume by doing the job of the people in this country. Taking this oath of office to heart. Together, by coming only by treating each other with aspect, not seeing each other as deplorables, not seeing each other as i am on one team and you are on another team and therefore we must oppose each other. What is thinking about whatge of allegiance does our pledge of allegiance say . This pledge we have taken throughout our lives. That we are one nation, under god, indivisible indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. United we stand, divided we fall. He must stand united to actually fulfill that vision of our nation that our founders had for us. Nation [applause] leaders that is led by who are truly of the people, by the people and for the people. For the people. This is why i am running for president. Service these values of above self to the presidency. To make sure that our white house represents the vegetables of integrity, honor and respect and to serve as that beacon of honor and light. I will bring the experience that i have of serving in congress now for nearly seven years on the Foreign Affairs committee, the Armed Services committee, the Homeland Security committee. I understand deeply the importance of our National Security and bringing the experience i have now of serving as a soldier for over 16 years. Deploying to the middle east twice. This experience to fulfill the most important responsibility the president has. To serve as commanderinchief. Commanderinchief, i will end our longheld Foreign Policy of trying to be the world police, overthrowing dictators and governments around the world that we dont like whilst propping up those we do. This newrk to end of cold war and arms race. I will redirect our taxpayer dollars toward serving the needs of our people right here at home. The needs are great. There are many. We must come together as americans and Work Together as we strive toward that more Perfect Union that serves the just of the American People and our country and actually being that force for good in the world that we know we can and should be. Thank you all for being here today. I look forward to our conversation. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. We had three minutes left. We have time for a question. First, i have a question from paul. High there. Hi there. What did you learn as a combat veteran that will uniquely inform your role as leader of the free world . I served inabbard a field medical unit in iraq in 2005. Our camp was 40 miles north of baghdad. Was nicknamed mortarita ville because of the mortars coming in every day. I saw the human cost of war. The cost of the decision that politicians made, lying to the American People about what it was all about. Saying that we have to go in and serve the interest of our country, Saddam Hussein is working with al qaeda. He was going to share it with them and that this was the greatest threat posed to the country. Like so many people, i believed what our leaders were saying. Seeing directly who was paying the price for their lives and their decisions had a very deep impact on me as a person. It changed everything. The first task i had every day was to go through a list, name thatme of every casualty occurred in the previous 24 hours to an american. 3000 soldiersut on there. Did they get the care they needed . Did they need to be evacuated . That experience that was heart wrenching every day has never left me. I came back from both of my diplomas to the middle east committed deeply to do all that to make sure no more of our men and women in uniform are needlessly placed into harms way, sacrificing all, fighting in wars that have nothing to do with our countrys National Security interests. Continuing this Foreign Policy of being the world police. This deeply impacted me and the work i did throughout congress. To make sure that this does not continue. That the constant consequent on our troops and the constant consequent on you, the american trillionuld be over 6 taken out of our schools, health care, infrastructure ability. To continue to pay for these regime change wars. That is not me would become isolationists and turn our backs on the world. The fact that that is the , theption that is made fact that the people in washington feel that the only way we can engage with other people in the world is by bombing them or enacting kryptonian sanctions. Not at all. I will lead with a Foreign Policy that is based on cooperation. The cable to use all the tools of diplomacy to work out our differences. Being able to use all the tools of diplomacy to work out our differences. This is the direction i believe we need to go in. Our future as well as our planet. Thank you. Thank you for your service and thank you for joining us today