Tulsi Gabbard Hit With Very Hawaiian Criticism

Her endorsement of Trump is 'not pono,' says her successor in Congress
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 5, 2024 5:45 PM CDT
Tulsi Gabbard Hit With Very Hawaiian Criticism
Tulsi Gabbard speaks at the Moms for Liberty National Summit in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.   (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Representing Hawaii's 2nd congressional district, Rep. Jill Tokuda follows in the footsteps of Tulsi Gabbard, who held the same seat from 2013 to 2021. But Tokuda will not follow Gabbard in the direction of Donald Trump. Tokuda has criticized the former Democrat, now independent, for endorsing the former president and joining what could become his transition team in a Facebook post. "Trump and Tulsi do not represent Hawaii values and fail to fight for our freedoms," Tokuda wrote on Aug. 27. "We will reject their extremism this November. This is not pono." Those last two words, in particular, stand out.

"Pono," a word featured in Hawaii's state motto, "signifies righteousness, integrity, and moral responsibility," per USA Today. "By saying Gabbard's endorsement of Trump is 'not pono,' Tokuda argues it goes against the ethical balance Hawaiians hold dear." Making use of the Hawaiian Pidgin language, Denby Fawcett in an op-ed at Honolulu Civil Beat traces Gabbard's path from a Democratic congresswoman who called Trump "corrupt" to "a true-blue MAGA supporter," noting "local people in Hawaii might say, 'She nevah find her ikigai,'" meaning sense of purpose or reason for being. (More Tulsi Gabbard stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X