Trump adds RFK Jr., Gabbard to presidential transition team

Former President Trump has tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) to his transition team, bringing both aboard in formal roles on the heels of their endorsements.

“As President Trump’s broad coalition of supporters and endorsers expands across partisan lines, we are proud that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard have been added to the Trump/Vance Transition team,” senior campaign adviser Brian Hughes said in a statement. “We look forward to having their powerful voices on the team as we work to restore America’s greatness.”

The New York Times first reported that Kennedy and Gabbard were joining the transition team.

Kennedy had all but confirmed his new role during a recent interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

“I’ve been asked to go on to the transition team, you know, to help pick the people who will be running the government, and I’m looking forward to that,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy last week suspended his independent White House bid and endorsed Trump, a move the former president’s campaign has argued will give him a boost in battleground states where Kennedy was pulling support away from Trump.

Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party in 2022 and has since become a regular presence in conservative media, endorsed Trump on Monday. Gabbard has also been assisting Trump ahead of a debate with Vice President Harris on Sept. 10.

Trump announced earlier this month the leadership for his transition team, which would lay the groundwork for personnel and policy moves should he win in November.

The team is being led by two top donors to the Trump campaign: Linda McMahon, who previously served as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term, and businessman Howard Lutnick, head of the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

His running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), will serve as an honorary chair, as will his elder sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.