Skip to main content

Rep. Gabbard and Syrian Kurdish leader make for odd State of the Union pair

The 2020 presidential contender will be joined by a leader of the US-backed Syrian Kurds for President Trump’s big speech.
U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) delivers a nomination speech for Senator Bernie Sanders on the second day at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - HT1EC7Q1N0781

A US-backed Kurdish group fighting to stop the US withdrawal from Syria has scored an unlikely invite to tonight’s State of the Union address from a congresswoman well known for her stance against American interventionism.

In a statement this afternoon, longshot 2020 presidential contender Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, announced that she had invited Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) co-president Ilham Ahmed to President Donald Trump’s address. Gabbard called Ahmed “a leader in the battle against ISIS in Syria.” ISIS is an abbreviation for the Islamic State.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.