It’s clear that presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is a badass. She served in the Iraq War, is a Major in the Army National Guard, is the first Hindu member of the U.S. Congress, and is an avid surfer. Her appearance during the first Democratic primary debate for the 2020 presidential election, also resulted in her being the most Googled candidate of the night. And perhaps her strong showing had something to do with her intense debate prep, which included a vigorous morning workout with her team.
Gabbard posted a video of the early morning sweat sesh on Twitter, where she can be seen doing mountain climbers, jumping jacks, and pikes before the debate. ABC News reported that many members of her campaign staff did the workout , too. They described it as a “team bootcamp.”
After sweating out the nerves, Gabbard gave her staff high fives and words of encouragement, ABC News reported. “Starting out this Wednesday morning, great workout,” she said in a campaign video, covered in sweat after HIIT in the humid, 90-degree Miami heat. “I know we’re running on low sleep, low fuel. Today’s gonna be a big day, an important day… All we’ve gotta do is continue to lead with our hearts and remember who we’re fighting for. Thank you very much.”
Gabbard isn’t the only woman in politics known for "fitting it in." Think: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s workout routine.
Morning of first #DemocraticDebate, behind the scenes in Miami https://t.co/n6rAgZ1sH7 #DemDebate #TULSI2020 pic.twitter.com/vdqFzBsjXN
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) June 27, 2019
She finished her speech saying to her staff: “I want to say thank you because our team is unlike any other.” It’s definitely a different approach to prep for a debate with cardio — but it clearly paid off. Google Trends search for Gabbard spiked during the debate, and Vox reported that her shining moment occurred when she corrected Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan about the fact that it was al-Qaeda behind 9/11, and not the Taliban.
Maybe Ryan should consider joining Gabbard in her next pre-debate workout sesh.
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Source: Refinery29 – Molly Longman