Tulsi Gabbard says she’s running for president

“There are a lot of reasons for me to make this decision,” Gabbard said.{mosads}

“There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I’m concerned about and that I want to help solve,” she said.

She listed access to health care, criminal justice reform and climate change as key issues.

The 37-year-old lawmaker is Congress’s first Hindu member and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“There is one main issue that is central to the rest, and that is the issue of war and peace,” she added in the CNN interview. “I look forward to being able to get into this and to talk about it in depth when we make our announcement.”

Gabbard joins what is expected to be a crowded Democratic presidential field in 2020, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announcing a bid on New Year’s Eve and others expected to jump in soon, such as Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) and former Vice President Joe Biden are also among those being floated as potential candidates. 

Republicans immediately seized on Gabbard’s announcement Friday, using it to focus on her support within her party.

“Tulsi Gabbard has an even bigger problem than her lack of experience – it’s that she has no base of support,” Republican National Committee (RNC) spokesman Michael Ahrens argued in a statement. “Liberals think she’s too conservative, conservatives think she’s too liberal, and just about everyone thinks her coziness with Bashar al-Assad is disturbing.” 

Gabbard faced criticism from many, including members of her own party, for meeting with the Syrian leader in January 2017, months before the Syrian government would be accused of a chemical weapons attack against its own people.

The RNC released a “cheat sheet” about Gabbard on Friday after her announcement, highlighting issues that could affect her 2020 chances and noted her meeting with Assad at the top of the list.

Updated: 7:43 p.m.