Former Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill slammed Democratic presidential contender Tulsi Gabbard after she criticized President Trump’s recent strike against a top Iranian general.
The Democratic representative of Hawaii posted a video to Twitter on Friday, a day after President Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani at an airport in Iraq. Gabbard, 38, accused Trump of starting a war with Iran without congressional approval.
“Trump’s actions last night in bombing the Baghdad airport with the targeted killing of Iran’s top military general was an act of war, with no authorization or declaration of war from Congress,” Gabbard said. “He has put us in a state of war with Iran and has seriously escalated this tit-for-tat conflict, pushing us deeper into an endless quagmire.”
Gabbard also pushed for U.S. forces to evacuate completely from Iraq and Syria.
“Wow, @TulsiGabbard. Any respect I had for you just vanished,” O’Neill said in response to Gabbard’s video.
Wow, @TulsiGabbard. Any respect I had for you just vanished. https://t.co/UBtvKoafXd
— Robert J. O’Neill (@mchooyah) January 3, 2020
O’Neill has previously praised Gabbard for her military service and her foreign policy stances.
Excellent interview @TulsiGabbard on @TuckerCarlson We need more veterans, like you, in congress. Well done.
— Robert J. O’Neill (@mchooyah) March 1, 2019
O’Neill, 43, was a member of the Navy’s SEAL Team 6 that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a raid on the terrorist’s compound in 2011. O’Neill has claimed that he shot and killed bin Laden.
Gabbard has failed to gain much traction in the 2020 race to challenge Trump for president. Her national polling average is just under 2%, according to RealClearPolitics.
