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Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu-American lawmaker and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, has revealed that she turned down an offer to be Robert F Kennedy Jr’s running mate in his independent presidential bid. Tulsi Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022.

“I met with Kennedy several times, and we have become good friends. He asked if I would be his running mate. After careful consideration, I respectfully declined,” ABC News quoted Gabbard as saying.

Gabbard did not explain her reasons for rejecting the offer. This information was not previously disclosed.

Kennedy had considered various individuals for the role, including former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and TV host Mike Rowe.

Kennedy announced at a rally in Oakland, California, last week that he had chosen Silicon Valley lawyer Nicole Shanahan as his running mate because of her youth and work in health and artificial intelligence.

“There were definitely meetings, but it didn’t work out. We talked to a bunch of people. Tulsi’s a rock star no matter what,” a person close to Kennedy told ABC News.

Tulsi Gabbard’s name also popped up when former President Donald Trump was looking for a potential vice-presidential pick.

Gabbard, a former Hawaii Representative, ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019 before leaving the party three years later.

Tulsi Gabbard has written a book titled ‘For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind’, which is set to be released this month.

Gabbard criticised the Democratic Party upon announcing her departure, blaming “warmongers” in the party “who are driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racialising every issue”.

She has also clashed with the party’s mainstream on issues such as Florida’s controversial ban on LGBTQ+ topics in public school classrooms, which she supported.

During her 2019 White House run, Gabbard made history by becoming the first woman of colour since 1972 to secure a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Kennedy and his campaign have not responded to Gabbard’s statement, reported ABC News.