really? oh, right here. this is the press line in the middle. good to know. yeah. thank you. [indiscernible] another woman. a local reporter. >> good evening, everybody. i'm here today to introduce tulsi gabbard. the reasons why i stand with tulsi are numerous and would take more time than i have to introduce her. so i'll start with what first drew me to tulsi in 2016, when i learned she was stepping down from her vice chair position at the d.n.c. in the midst of a presidential primary. tulsi giving up this position of power and visibility showed me her integrity, conviction, and backbone. any politician that was willing to put their career on the line and stand up to the d.n.c. and hillary clinton was a candidate i knew was fighting for the voters and our democracy while demonstrating deep morals and courage. [applause] thank you. [applause] ,tulsy.or you her compassion, empathy, commitment to work for all citizens, and her cede, service above self, which she demonstrates by her love for others, her community, and her country, are the reasons why i volunteered for tulsi in january, 2019. tulsi is currently serving her fourth term in congress. she's a member of the homeland security, armed services, foreign affairs, and financial services committees. she has introduced and successfully passed many bills with bipartisan support. congresswoman gabbard is also a major in the army national guard and has served for 16 years, deploying twice to the middle east. tulsi's personal qualities, her skill set, experiences, and temperament are what makes her uniquely qualified to be our next president, someone who will always think about what is best for all of us, regardless of the political backlash, is who i want leading our country. i'd like to introduce a truly remarkable person and candidate for president, tulsi gabbard. [cheers and applause] tulsi: thank you. i'm going to put my tea here. all right. thank you. please give susan a round of applause. thank you for your kind introduction. [applause] tulsi: thank you for the many, many, many hours you have put in to volunteering for our campaign. welcome to all of you. thank you so much for taking the time to be here this evening. charlie, i want to ask you to stand up. this is your house that we are in here in the v.f.w. charlie is the quarter master of this v.f.w. thank you so much and thank you for your service. [applause] tulsi: thank you. thank you. i am so grateful to be a lifetime member of the v.f.w. and to know that anywhere in the country, as with all veterans, to know we have a home. we have a home here in the v.f.w. so thank you very much. all right. i'm going to dive right in. we are on a tight schedule today. and i want to be able to get to as many questions as we can. i want to start with susan kind of went over a little bit about my background and experience and i want to focus first on -- it's the issue that i get asked most often about. and to me, it's the thing that's top of mind and central to all of the other challenges and solutions that we see here. people ask me every day, how do we heal the divides in this country? that we are so deeply torn apart in washington, yes, the hyperpartisanship, one side versus the other. it's he us versus them. -- it's us versus them. it's about one party winning or the other party trying to beat them. and the idea of the meernl -- of american people actually being the ones who are lost in the process. as a result it's we the people who lose. it's we the people who see inaction and paralysis and gridlock in washington. rather than actions that lead to solving the everyday problems that we face. this is so important to focus on so that we can actually solve problems. and because, as new hampshire voters, you got to figure out who you want to vote for in the next few days. and there's a lot of different plans. there's a lot of different ideas coming from all of the different candidates about how each of us would solve these problems. but the reality is that unless we have a president who is able to reach across the aisle, to work with members of congress both from the other party, but also with members of congress even within our own political party, we're not going to be able to get anything done. all of those plans really will only be worth the paper that they're printed on. and what we the people as voters will be left with is a per pet -- perpetuation of challenges we've seen go on and on and on. being able to approach solving these problems with a very practical and realistic view is essential, and this is what it comes down to is how do we bridge this divide? how do we get to a place where we can have leaders in this country who are actually putting service above self? who are putting country first? checking that partisanship at the door. this is what voters in this country deserve. this is the leadership that i seek to bring. and you can have the confidence to know that this isn't just some fancy rhetorical, beautiful, utopian thought. this is rooted in reality. in 2012, when i was elected to congress first, there were 84 of us new members elected at the same time. there were 50 democrats, 34 republicans. but when we got elected, we were elected into a very strong republican majority. and so, for the first week or two that we were there, you know, we were all bused around from one briefing to the next, getting to know each other, getting briefings on ethics and where all the buildings were and where the committee rooms were and getting keys and i.d. cards. all the basic logistical things. but through this process, we really got to know each other as people. we got to know each other's families. we got to talking about where you came from and what was the experience you had and how was your campaign? was it challenging? and just got to know each other as people without being stuffed into these partisan boxes. but then after that initial orientation period was over, then immediately the partisan divide began. where, you know, as democrats, we went off and immediately started having meetings in one place. republicans went and had their meetings in the other rooms. and that's how it was from that point on. and the messaging that came from each of our respective party leaders was, all right, you're part of this team. when our legislation is going forward, we're all going to stand together. we're going to push for the democratic legislation. and vice versa for republicans. even being told, hey, we don't really want you to work with this republican because we want to take him out in the next election. and if you're able to successfully get something done, you'll help them get re-elected because they'll be able to cite that accomplishment in their brochure. same thing on the other side. putting partisanship ahead of actually solving problems. and so this is pretty disturbing to me, immediately. i knew it was very partisan. but to be so blatant and out front from the get-go, i saw how this culture was standing in the way of real progress. immediately, i started thinking about how could i, as a newly elected democrat from a small state in the middle of the pacific ocean, breakthrough, how could i build relationships, how could i start to bridge this divide? and so i kind of went to a very basic place and thought of the most universal gesture, language, that speaks loud and clearly to me and that is food. i called my mother in hawaii, asked if she would make 434 boxes of her amazing macadamia nut coffee. [laughter] tulsi: no big deal. not pieces, boxes. she said, yeah, i think that's a great idea. like, awesome. thank you. because i have one more question, one more favor to ask. i ask that you make another 435 larger boxes of toffee for the staff of every member of congress. she paused, took a breath. she said, ok. that'll take me a little longer. but i'm in. and i just -- i thanked her profusely. she immediately got to work in hawaii. she's stirring two pots of toffee on the stove at the same time. she's chopping the macadamia nuts, starting to pour the to -- toffee. my dad called me and wanted to make sure that i knew he was helping. and he said, honey, i want you to know i'm tasting one piece out of every pan of toffee that your mom makes, just to make sure it's good. [laughter] tulsi: ok, dad. thank you. good job. but as they were doing this in hawaii, i was in d.c. and i just started hand-writing personal notes. introducing myself. to every one of my new colleagues. telling them a little bit about my background and signing every note saying, "i look forward to serving with you." i started to deliver these, what i called these little gifts of aloha, and very quickly started getting responses, that during every day on the house floor we have either one or two or three voting sessions. and i started to see, while we were having votes, the only time all 435 members are in the same place at the same time, there were senior ranking republicans, chairmen of powerful committees, people from other parts of the country who, normally, i wouldn't cross paths with. they probably would not give me the time of day or return my call if i asked for a meeting. but they were coming and looking for me. just to say thank you. many of them following that up with, "i ate it all and i need more before i can go home and see my family this weekend. can you hook me up?" [laughter] tulsi: but then most importantly saying, tell me, tell me what issues your constituents are worried about. you know, what what are the things you want to work on? now that you're here in congress? i'm the chair of this committee or i've been working on that issue, or this is an area that i've been focused on. let's work together. i want to help. that very simple gesture, setting all politics aside, no preconditions, no purity tests, no saying, well, hey, i know i've seen you on tv and i strongly disagree with you on that, so i know i'm going to ignore you, no toffee for you. no. not you. [laughter] tulsi: no preconditions, reaching out to every single person, every member of congress with respect, recognizing that even as we may have strong disagreements, and with many of them, it's true, strong disagreement on certain issues. the reality is that every single one of us was elected with the same mission, the same purpose, the same promise that we made to every voter in our district. we are here to serve you. we are here to serve you, the people of this country. and building this foundation -- [applause] tulsi: building this relationship based on this foundation of respect as fellow americans, rooted in the bedrock of our constitution, allowed me as a freshman democrat member elected from this small state in the middle of the pacific ocean to be able to break through these partisan barriers, to actually be able to get legislation passed, my very first bill that i introduced as a member of congress, the helping heroes fly act, passed into law, signed by president obama in a record period of time. it enabled me to, when other pieces of legislation were coming to the floor or i had controversial amendments that people told me were dead on arrival, that they would never get support from any republicans . instead of just listening to that, i went forward anyway and when i made those calls saying, hey, i need your support, and here's why, they listened. some of them still said, i've heard you, but i disagree. maybe next time. many others said, tulsi, i've heard you and you make sense. you have my support. the kinds of real conversations, of communication, both talking and listening, thinking of how, how we put the well-being and the best interests of our country at the forefront, and getting things done as a result. this is what we need in all of our leaders. this is the experience of leadership that i will bring to serve you every day as your president and commander in chief, my personal commitment to put the well-being of people ahead of partisanship, ahead of profits, ahead of corporate special interests, and rebuilding these ties with leaders across our government to really bring about -- bring to fruition that vision that our founders had for us as a nation, as a nation, where our government is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people. we've got a lot of work to do. to get there. but it's not a pie in the sky goal. it is a necessary one. it is a necessary one. when abraham lincoln delivered his speech, warning the nation over 161 years ago that a house divided against itself cannot stand, he ended that speech by saying, "we shall not fail." "we shall not fail." he said, "if we stand fast, we shall not fail." and that challenge that he gave at that time rings just as true now as it did then. the answer to bridge these divides in our country doesn't lie in one party or another party. it doesn't lie in one person's hands or another person's hands. the power to change this, to heal these divides, lies in every one of our hands, every one of our hearts. that challenge is there for us. because it's our future. this is not about my future. the future of any candidate running for president. the decision you have before you is about what kind of future do you want for yourself? for your kids? for generations to come? we cannot afford to keep kicking down the can down the road saying, well, this is somebody else's problem. we cannot afford to have so many people continuing to stay home and not vote, not make sure their voices are heard because they think that this system is too broken to be fixed. the only way we do fix it is by by taking action, and that action begins with casting your vote. and i'll close on this before we open it up to q&a here. because it's something a couple of people have mentioned to me, especially recently. tulsi, you know, we like you, we really want you to be president, but i just don't think that they will let you get it. i don't think they will let you win. so, i'm going to vote for somebody else. the only way, the only way we win together, the only way we make this change, the only way you get the candidate you want is by making sure your voice is heard and casting your vote for that candidate. [applause] tulsi: especially, especially here in new hampshire, where you are proud of how independent this state is and independent voters are across party lines, you don't let anybody come and tell you how to cast your vote. you don't let anybody come in here and tell you who should win this election and who should lose. so it's important, both for new hampshire and across the country, to remember this fact. that our future lies within our hands and no matter how much the powerful elite in washington try to tell us who they think should win or who they think should lose, we get to decide. we get to decide. and the beautiful thing, the beautiful thing about -- [applause] tulsi: about what is happening here in new hampshire, we've been campaigning here now for over a year. we've held over 115 town halls all across your state. the beautiful thing here is that the decision that you will make as new hampshire voters, obviously, is the responsibility that every voter has and the impact that every voter has, but you have the unique opportunity as the first primary in the nation to send a huge wake-up call, a huge message to washington that now is the time for real change. for systemic change. systemic change that goes beyond one party or another party. systemic change that says, we the people, democrats, republicans, libertarians, and independents, stand together, we stand united, working side by side, understanding that when we do so, we can accomplish anything. and now is the time that we take our government back for us, for our nation and for our future. thank you very much for being here tonight. [applause] tulsi: thank you so much. [applause] tulsi: thank you. we've got a couple of microphones here. yes, sir. we'll start with you in the back. >> hi. howard, retired police officer and detective from fort worth, texas. 48 years ago, president nixon declared the war on drugs. 48 years later, and $1.2 trillion, we are -- in fact, it's worse now than before. there's heroin, fentanyl, whatever in every small town in new hampshire and across these united states. as a cop, i saw this to be the most destructive, dysfunctional, and immoral policy since slavery and jim crow. what would you do differently? tulsi: thank you for your service. that's worthy of a round of applause for all of our law enforcement. thank you. [applause] tulsi: i couldn't agree more that this war on drugs, that has shown decade after decade, generation after generation, to have been a total failure is unfortunately still continuing. it is not only costing us as taxpayers tremendously, at every step of the way in this failed war on drugs, it is costing us as the american people, it is ruining people's lives, taking people's lives, tearing families apart, ravaging communities. the human cost and the toll that this failed war is having is immeasurable. because it's continuing on and on. you mentioned the opioid crisis. i was shocked when i heard the statistic. 130 americans every single day die because of the opioid crisis. every day. these are people who we may know or have worked with or members of our family. 130 americans every day. and 40% of those started with prescription drugs. maybe they got a prescription because their back was hurting or they had surgery or they needed something else. but they weren't really warned, many people not warned about how highly addictive these drugs are. just saying, eh, it's ok. i met a woman the other day, just a few years ago. she had some serious health issues and they drugged her up good. she's like, is this good for me? they're like, yeah, it's just like tylenol. just like tylenol. literally. that's what they told her. and she finally got to a place where she realized, this is not good for me. it's completely changing who i am as a person and she felt her life being sucked from her. and thankfully, she was in a place where she was able to get herself out of it and make some decisions. 10 days. it took her 10 days to wean herself off of these opioids because she was able to access medicinal cannabis. that's how she got her treatment. completely off of these opioids. but not every person in this country is able to do that. why? because of this failed war on drugs. she lived in the shadows. she is a conservative republican woman from alabama. her mother is a prosecutor, her father is a physician. and she had to live in the shadows even though this medicinal cannabis just saved her life. because she's a criminal under federal law. alabama has not legalized even medicinal cannabis. but this is one of many illustrations of the point that you raiseed, sir. and it's why throughout my time in congress i have introduced legislation to, for example, i have the only bipartisan bill that would end the federal marijuana prohibition as the first step toward ending this failed war on drugs. [applause] tulsi: supported other legislation that would expunge the criminal records of those who have fallen victim and are chained with this criminal record because of this failed war on drugs. and i'm strongly advocating for us as a country, where as president, i would change our priorities, where instead of criminalizing people who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction, by cycling them through our prisons and our criminal justice system, instead redirect those resources towards actually providing people with help. and say this is the health care issue. this is not a criminal issue. we've seen how this has worked. in other countries like portugal. and how ultimately they have seen those numbers and statistics of addiction drastically, drastically reducing. and amount of money that they were spending to pay for these prisons dropping. able to se