Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, issued a profane rebuke of President Trump after he signaled the U.S. would not punish Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“Being Saudi Arabia’s bitch is not ‘America First,’” the congresswoman said in a tweet directed at the president on Wednesday.
Hey @realdonaldtrump: being Saudi Arabia’s bitch is not “America First.”
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) November 21, 2018
Trump has dismissed the CIA’s reported conclusion that the crown prince ordered the the journalist’s death, suggesting that there was a possibility Mohammed did not have knowledge of the killing. Trump instead praised Saudi Arabia’s business ties to the U.S. and said maintaining a partnership with the county was critical in defeating terrorism.
Gabbard’s condemnation of Trump raised eyebrows, given that she met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in January 2017 and months later cast doubt about whether Assad had used chemical weapons on his own citizens, despite the U.S. and its allies agreeing that the evidence pointed to the Syrian leader. The Assad regime is allied with Iran, a fierce foe of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.
Gabbard’s comments drew a rebuke from Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.
“And how would you describe your fondness for Assad? Asking for the 500,000 Syrians he murdered … including the 50,000 children who gasped their last breath because of him,” Kinzinger tweeted.
And how would you describe your fondness for Assad? Asking for the 500,000 Syrians he murdered… including the 50,000 children who gasped their last breath because of him. https://t.co/5Ezre1lWwO
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) November 21, 2018
