Tulsi Gabbard Confronts Joy Behar in Heated Segment, Accuses Her of Spreading 'Innuendos'
Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard went head to head Wednesday with Joy Behar on “The View,” accusing the host of spreading “innuendos” to smear her character.
The Hawaii representative was responding to Behar calling her a “useful idiot” for the Russians as well as comments former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had made last month.
“Some of you have accused me of being a traitor to my country, a Russian asset, a Trojan horse or a ‘useful idiot,’ I think was the term that you used, which basically means that I am naive or lack intelligence,” Gabbard said.
“I want to let your viewers know exactly who I am, set the record straight. I am a patriot, I love our country, I am a strong and intelligent woman of color and I have dedicated almost my entire adult life to protecting the safety, security and the freedom of all Americans in this country.”
Behar responded, “Franklin Graham finds you refreshing. He doesn’t find me refreshing. Richard Spencer, the white nationalist leader, says he could vote for you. You’re on Tucker Carlson at least 10 times. Why don’t you go on Chris Wallace’s show?”
“This is why I’m here, because you and other people continue to spread these innuendos that have nothing to do with who I am,” Gabbard said.
Last month on “The View,” Behar called Gabbard a “useful idiot” while discussing the presidential candidate’s feud with Clinton.
Clinton had told left-wing podcast host David Plouffe in an interview released Oct. 17, without mentioning Gabbard by name, that she believed theories claiming the congresswoman was actually a “favorite of the Russians.”
On Oct. 21, Behar responded to Clinton’s comments and compared Gabbard to Trump.
“I don’t say that Tulsi is an agent,” Behar said. “I just think that she could be a useful idiot the way Trump is a useful idiot to the Russians. That they see something. They say, ‘Oh look, a useful idiot. Let’s play this.’”
On Wednesday’s show, Gabbard responded, “You doubled down on the baseless accusations that she made that strikes at the core of who I am.”
Gabbard went on to describe her 16 years in the military and defended calling Clinton “the queen of warmongers.”
… concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. We wondered who was behind it and why. Now we know — it was always you, through your proxies and …
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) October 18, 2019
“Hillary Clinton throughout her career has led with a foreign policy of interventionism and being the world’s police, going and toppling dictators in other countries that has caused such destruction and loss of life. I’m against that. I’m running for president to change that,” Gabbard said.
“Rather than actually debate me on the issues, she and others are resorting to these smear tactic campaigns seeking to undermine me, smear my character and sending a message to anyone who dissents: toe the line or you too will be smeared.”
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