Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard in a defiant video linked Hillary Clinton’s “smears” to her previous endorsement of Bernie Sanders and used the opportinity to raise funds for her campaign.
“People warned me in 2016 that my endorsement of Bernie Sanders would be the end of my quote-unquote political career,” Rep. Gabbard, D-Hawaii, said in a video she posted to Twitter Sunday. “They said Clinton would never forget. That her rich and powerful friends, her allies in politics and in the media, will make sure you are destroyed.”
Gabbard points to the “countless hit pieces full of smears” that have been published since she started her campaign.
Clinton last week appeared to suggest Russians were currently grooming Gabbard to run as a third-party candidate and champion their interests, though she never named her.
"I'm not making any predictions, but I think they've got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate," Clinton said during an appearance on HQ Podcast with former campaign Obama manager David Plouffe. "She's the favorite of the Russians."
Gabbard called Clinton’s comments a smear.
"If they can falsely portray me as a traitor, then they can do it to anyone -- and in fact, that's exactly the message they want to get across to you," Gabbard said in the video.
"If you stand up to Hillary and the party power brokers -- if you stand up to the rich and powerful elite and the war machine, they will destroy you and discredit your message. But, here is the truth: They will not intimidate us. They will not silence us."
Gabbard then links the video to her website where she asks for donations for her campaign.
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