In case you’ve missed the controversy, Hillary Clinton made a clear suggestion this week that Russians are grooming Gabbard to run as a third-party candidate. Although Clinton didn't name names, Russian support for Gabbard has long been obvious.
Gabbard has repeatedly stated she has no plans to run as a third-party candidate. Yesterday, she told NBC News, “I want to be very clear … I will not run as a third party candidate or as an independent.” She made a similarly unequivocal pledge on CNN in August.
Yet, when she appeared last night on Tucker Carlson Tonight for the second time this week, she did not directly respond to Tucker Carlson’s opening question, “So just to the factual point first, are you a Russian sleeper cell?” Instead, she evasively changed the subject and attacked Clinton:
And not only are they saying that about me, they are basically saying -- sending this message out to every veteran in this country, every Service Member, every American, anyone watching at home who was fighting for peace and who was calling for an end to these regime change wars, this new Cold War and arms race, they are saying that you are also a Russian asset and that you are also a traitor to this country. That's really what's happening here.
In fact, Gabbard’s Twitter clapbacks to Clinton didn’t deny the accusation either.
Putting aside the Russia question, you have to wonder why any Democrat, especially one who publicly rejected the support of David Duke but has won the admiration of Steve Bannon and Richard Spencer would go on Tucker Carlson’s White Power Hour to attack Clinton or any other Democrat if not to signal some kind of solidarity.
Gabbard spent much of her Fox News airtime last night sounding like she’s running against Clinton and not the zillion other Democrats actually running. Gabbard called her critics in the Democratic party “proxies” for Clinton. She even theorized that Clinton might well run again. If that happens, “it will again become clear that this is a race between Hillary Clinton and myself," Gabbard claimed.
I think plenty of those current candidates, including former Clinton opponent Bernie Sanders, whom Gabbard campaigned for in 2016 would beg to differ.
