Gabbard announces she's leaving Democrat Party, which she says now controlled by 'elitist cabal'

Former Democrat presidential candidate and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announced Tuesday that she's leaving the political party.

Gabbard, of Hawaii and a military veteran, made the announcement on Twitter in a post that includes a roughly one-minute-long video in which she talks about her reasons for leaving the party.

"I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue & stoke anti-white racism," Gabbard wrote.

She departure in not a complete surprise, Gabbard has for years been an outspoke critic of the Democrat Party, which has made her a popular figure among Republicans.