Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful, on Thursday explained her decision to sue former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for $50 million for defamation by calling her a “Russian asset.”
Gabbard told “Fox & Friends” that Clinton is “attempting” to “smear” her reputation and “undermine” her campaign and, as a member of the military and a congresswoman, she cannot allow that to “go unchecked.”
“I have dedicated my entire adult life to serving our country, and for Hillary Clinton and her powerful allies to attempt to smear me and accuse me — really implying that I’m a traitor to the country that I love is something that I cannot allow to go unchecked,” Gabbard outlined. “I’m filing this lawsuit because I will not allow her or anyone to try to intimidate me or other patriotic Americans into silence.”
She added, “This is a clear attempt to try to intimidate and silence those like me who are speaking out, who are being critical of the policies that she has had: the legacy of warmongering and taking our country into unnecessary, stupid wasteful regime change wars, unnecessarily sending my brothers and sisters into harm’s way — my brothers and sisters in uniform. Speaking out against this foreign policy establishment is something that she clearly doesn’t like, which is why she is attempting to do all she can to smear my reputation and undermine my campaign.”
Gabbard then declared, “I’m an American. I love my country. I will not allow this kind of blatant smear tactics to go unchecked. That’s what this is about.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.