Tulsi Gabbard’s Baseless Claims Boost Trump’s Russia Denials

In a shocking display of loyalty to her boss, President Donald Trump, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has come under fire for perpetuating the president’s long-debunked claims about Russian interference in the 2016 election. On Friday, Gabbard called for the Obama administration to be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” for allegedly manufacturing intelligence to support the claim that Russia interfered in the election to boost Trump’s campaign.

This statement is a blatant attempt to rewrite history and erase the findings of multiple investigations over the past eight years. The 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, published during Trump’s first term, concluded that Russia did indeed meddle in the election with the specific goal of helping Trump win. The assessment was based on evidence gathered by the intelligence community, including the CIA, FBI, and NSA.

Gabbard’s claims have been met with swift criticism from lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Warner pointed out that the Senate Intel Committee had already unanimously concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. “If there had been some Obama conspiracy, we would have found it,” Warner said in a statement. “This latest lie is another sad, dangerous example of Tulsi Gabbard trying to rewrite history and erode trust in the [intelligence community].”

Gabbard’s possible sympathies with Russia have raised eyebrows in the past. During her confirmation hearings, lawmakers questioned her about her defense of Russia’s 2020 invasion of Ukraine. Former aides also alleged that she regularly consumed media from RT, the Kremlin’s propaganda outlet. These concerns have led many to wonder whether Gabbard is truly committed to serving the interests of the United States or if she is instead working to advance a pro-Russia agenda.