Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said Wednesday that Syrian President Bashar Assad is not “an enemy” of the U.S.
The Hawaii Democrat, who is a 2020 presidential contender, made the comment during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“Assad is not the enemy of the United States, because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the United States,” she said.
Hours later, she offered a defense of the interview.
“We heard attacks from warmongers in politics/media before,” she tweeted. “Those opposed to Iraq/Libya/Syria regime change wars are called ‘dicatator-lovers’ or ‘cozy’ with evil regimes. Rather than defend their position, they resort to name-calling & smears. American people wont fall for this.”
We heard attacks from warmongers in politics/media before. Those opposed to Iraq/Libya/Syria regime change wars are called “dicatator-lovers” or “cozy” with evil regimes. Rather than defend their position, they resort to name-calling & smears. American people wont fall for this.
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) February 6, 2019
Gabbard noted that al Qaeda, not Assad, attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. She also made her case by calling attention to how Congress never passed an Authorization to Use Military Force to go to war against Syria.
“If US topples Assad, Al-Qaeda/ISIS will take over. Why do you prefer them to Assad?” she tweeted.
.@morningjoe Syria/Assad did not attack us on 9/11, killing thousands of Americans — al-Qaeda did. No Authorization to Use Military Force has ever passed Congress to go to war against Syria. If US topples Assad, Al-Qaeda/ISIS will take over. Why do you prefer them to Assad?
— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) February 6, 2019
Gabbard drew bipartisan criticism in early 2017 after she revealed she met with Assad during what she described as a “fact-finding” mission to the region.
Assad has been accused of using chemical weapons against his own citizens during a yearslong civil war that has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in his country.
Notably, Gabbard said in April 2017 that she was “skeptical” that Assad was behind a deadly poison gas attack that killed dozens of Syrian civilians, including children, and prompted a missile strike from the Pentagon against a base believed to be harboring chemical weapons. A member of the Armed Services Committee, Gabbard called for an independent investigation into the attack and said if Assad was found guilty he should be “executed.”
Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran, officially announced last week that she’s running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
