Gabbard says she ‘was not invited to participate in any way’ in Democratic convention

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) confirmed Thursday evening that she was not invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention after she did not appear in any programming for the event this week.

“You’re correct – I was not invited to participate in any way,” Gabbard tweeted in response to a post noting her absence from the four-day confab.

You’re correct – I was not invited to participate in any way. https://t.co/zQBOQB8Zw7

— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) August 20, 2020

Gabbard, who ran for president before ultimately suspending her campaign, was one of seven contenders who earned delegates during the primary, though she was the only one not offered a speaking slot.

The Democratic National Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The convention has faced criticism over its speaker list, with entrepreneur Andrew Yang, another former presidential contender, initially not appearing in the lineup either. He was later given a speaking role near the top of Thursday’s activities.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, another former presidential candidate, also noted that no Hispanic speakers were featured in the prime-time section of the convention, though actress Eva Longoria Bastón did moderate Monday. 

“You know, last week I saw the schedule. And out of the 35 primetime speakers, only three of them were Latino. There were no Native Americans, no Muslim Americans. And I said that that was — I didn’t think that completely reflected this beautiful, diverse coalition, this big tent that Democrats have put together over these last few years,” Castro said on Monday. 

“However, over the weekend, they did make some good announcements of additional speakers, including Latinas and Latinos and Native American and Muslim American speakers. So that’s a positive,” he added.

Gabbard endorsed Joe Biden, the eventual nominee, after dropping out of the 2020 race in March. The Hawaii Democrat, who has served in Congress since 2013, is not seeking reelection to her House seat.