Thursday on CNN’s “The Lead,” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), a veteran of the U.S. Army, said of the criticism of President-elect Donald Trump picking generals for his cabinet, “I find it pretty offensive for people to outright discriminate against veterans.”



Partial transcript as follows:



TAPPER: I know that some of your colleagues, Democrats, have expressed concern about too many retired generals being in the Trump cabinet. You have the National Security Adviser General Flynn and he’s talked about General Mattis and General Kelly at the Pentagon and Homeland Security. Do you share their concerns or disagree?

GABBARD: I don’t share their concerns. As a veteran and as someone still serving in the Hawaii National Guard, I found it pretty offensive for people to outright discriminate against veterans. Here you have generals who have literally spent their whole lives serving our country, putting service before self, putting their lives on the line to defend democracy, yet people are criticizing them and discriminating against them saying, just because you served as a general previously you are disqualified from serving in a high position of leadership in our government. These people, arguably, have put far more on the line and are far more deeply personally committed to upholding and protecting our democracy than their critics.