WASHINGTON:Hillary Clinton warned that Russia is grooming a US Democratic candidate for athird-party run next year, prompting the accused Tulsi Gabbard to unleash anall-out attack Friday on the "queen of warmongers" ex-secretary ofstate. Clinton -- and history from her 2016 presidential defeat to Donald Trump-- suggested that the result of the Russian-backed move would be to divide theUS electorate and help Trump win again in 2020.
"I thinkthey've got their eye on somebody who's currently in the Democratic primary,and they're grooming her to be the third-party candidate," Clinton said onthe "Campaign HQ" podcast that first aired Thursday. "She's thefavorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways ofsupporting her so far." Clinton did not name Gabbard, but the Hawaiicongresswoman essentially acknowledged she was the target by blasting out astunning Twitter thread against the former first lady.
"Great!Thank you @HillaryClinton. You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment ofcorruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the DemocraticParty for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain," Gabbardranted at her fellow Democrat. Gabbard, 38, accused 71-year-old Clinton, long adoyenne of the Washington establishment, of leading a "concertedcampaign" to destroy her reputation.
"Now we know-- it was always you, through your proxies and powerful allies in the corporatemedia and war machine, afraid of the threat I pose," she added. "It'snow clear that this primary is between you and me," she sneered."Don't cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly."Clinton has said she is done running for president.
Russianinterference
Gabbard'scampaign is hanging by a thread. She is polling at barely one percent supportin a sprawling field that includes former vice president Joe Biden and senatorsElizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Her tirade is startling given that it isfrom one presidential candidate to her own party's 2016 nominee, herself thetarget of Russian interference that year. US media analysis has shown thatsites tied to Russia have celebrated Gabbard's campaign launch, defended hercontroversial 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and attackedpeople who have suggested Gabbard is a pawn for Moscow.
Last week The NewYork Times quoted influential Republicans who said they were impressed withher. Far-right conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich said she "seems veryTrumpian." Gabbard has rejected some of the support from rightwing orwhite nationalist sources, and during last week's Democratic debate shechastised the Times for publishing "smears" and said televisioncommentators were "completely despicable" for calling her a Russianasset.
The USintelligence community has concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016election to help boost Trump's chances of victory. Clinton said it was clearRussia is laying the groundwork for similar interference in 2020. In 2016,Green Party liberal Jill Stein won more votes than Trump's victory margin inMichigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states that could have secured thepresidency for Clinton. - AFP