Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), a 2020 Democratic White House hopeful, is calling for a debate centered exclusively on foreign policy, saying the current format doesn’t do voters justice.
“It would be very valuable for voters to have a foreign policy focused debate, period,” Gabbard told Hill.TV during an interview that aired on Thursday.
Gabbard, who served in Iraq as a member of the National Guard, said voters, including those in the military, “deserve more than just having one or two foreign policy-related questions in a two-hour long debate,” adding that not nearly time enough time is allotted to the complex issue.
“It does not do the issue justice, it does not do our service men and women justice, who have to live with the consequences of who are commander in chief is and it doesn’t do justice for the American people,” she said.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has faced growing calls to hold single-issue presidential debates, but so far it has rejected those efforts.
DNC officials in August voted down a resolution calling for a standalone debate on climate change.
The decision drew backlash from activists and Democratic hopefuls alike. The DNC, however, stressed that there is already a debate system in place, and officials cannot change the rules in the middle of the primary.
Several candidates took part CNN and MSNBC climate forums last month that were held in response to the public outcry. President Trump’s primary challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, attended the two-day climate forum hosted by MSNBC.
The forums each garnered millions of viewers, though viewership was down compared to other programming normally aired at the same time.
Gabbard’s comments come after she became the 12th candidate to qualify for the party’s October primary debate, which will be held in Ohio.
—Tess Bonn
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