Friday's Lincoln Day Dinner brought in 500 conservatives in efforts to raise local funds for the Republican Party. 

The event was held at Waypoint 4180 for $125-$350 per seat. The Lincoln Day Dinner is a celebration recognized by local Republican headquarters nationwide, every year on March 10. 

This year's guest speaker featured Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who left the Democratic party last year.

Gabbard now campaigns and endorses several Republican politicians but identifies herself as an independent. 

Gabbard served as a Democratic Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd district from 2013-2021 and was the first female combat veteran to run for President of the United States in 2020. 

Gabbard took to the podium at 8:45 Friday and spoke about reasons why she left the Democratic party. She said Democrats "hate freedom" and that "they're undermining the constitution." She also talked about her time in the military and encouraged more support for the people of East Palestine. Since her visit to East Palestine's train derailment site last month, she told 21 News before the dinner that the Biden administration is not doing enough to help those affected, saying his action go "beyond a failing grade." She also gave her comments on Thursday's Senate hearing. 

"It sent the wrong message that the CEO failed to show up on multiple occasions in East Palestine for the people in that community and then only went to show up when Washington basically told him he had to," Gabbard said. "The people in East Palestine are resilient. My concern is that Norfolk Southern and the federal government will forget about them once the headlines move on. I want to remind those in the power of the challenges they are suffering today and will likely suffer for some time to come to make sure they are not left behind and forgotten."

Local Republican politicians including Mike Rulli and Al Cutrona also spoke to the room of Republican supporters. 

Gabbard also spoke on her disapproval of President Biden in office. "He has been more than a huge disappointment in every respect. He has been a disappointment on so many issues including domestic and foreign policy. He has failed to deliver on the promises made. The repercussions of the policy decisions they're making are only diving us apart as Americans," Gabbard said.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders was last year's guest speaker at the Maronite Center. Her campaign manager did not allow the media to record her speech or interview her in 2022.

When asked about this, Gabbard said she supports freedom of the press, adding politicians and the media have a responsibility to support the First Amendment.

"It's important to fulfill the responsibility of transparency both for public officials as well as the responsibility journalists have to be unbiased and transparent in reporting," Gabbard said. "Truth-telling is important." 

"Rights and freedoms are being undermined by very powerful people," Gabbard said. "Once power is set that it's okay to silence voices, that the First Amendment is not necessary, we lose this American identity that our founders set up for us."

The event carried into the night and raised thousands for the local Mahoning County Republican headquarters.