Gabbard on Harris leaving race: ‘I respect her sincere desire to serve the American people’

White House hopeful Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) said she respects Sen. Kamala Harris’s “sincere desire to serve the American people” after the California Democrat, with whom Gabbard has feuded, dropped out of the presidential race Tuesday. 

“Sending my best wishes to @KamalaHarris, her family & supporters who have campaigned so hard,” Gabbard tweeted.

“While we disagree on some issues, we agree on others & I respect her sincere desire to serve the American people. I look forward to working together on the challenges we face as a nation,” she added.  

Sending my best wishes to @KamalaHarris, her family & supporters who have campaigned so hard. While we disagree on some issues, we agree on others & I respect her sincere desire to serve the American people. I look forward to working together on the challenges we face as a nation

— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) December 3, 2019

Harris announced Tuesday that she was leaving the crowded Democratic primary field after recently seeing declining polling and fundraising numbers. 

“My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue,” Harris wrote on Medium. 

Harris and Gabbard have frequently criticized one another; the Hawaii lawmaker said earlier this year that Harris “is not qualified to serve as commander in chief,” saying that the senator lacks both foreign policy experience and the right temperament for the job. 

She has also criticized Harris’s record as California’s attorney general. 

Meanwhile, Harris has knocked Gabbard for appearing on Fox News and accused her of buddying up to former Trump strategist Stephen Bannon.