Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) is facing significant backlash after claiming that Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), is “likely a Russian asset.” Wasserman Schultz made the controversial comments on MSNBC during a Friday interview, without providing any evidence to support her assertion. The remarks have sparked outrage from political commentators, many of whom are questioning the integrity of Wasserman Schultz’s own political history.
During the MSNBC interview, Wasserman Schultz was asked about Gabbard’s potential appointment to the DNI role. In response, she asserted, “She is considered to be essentially by most assessments, a Russian asset and would be the most dangerous.” When pressed on whether she believed Gabbard was a Russian asset, Wasserman Schultz replied, “Yes. There’s no question. I consider her someone who is likely a Russian asset who would be as the DNI, responsible for managing our entire intelligence community, hold all of our most significant intelligence information and secrets, and essentially would be a direct line to our enemies.”
Journalist Glenn Greenwald was one of the first to call out Wasserman Schultz, recalling Gabbard’s resignation from her position as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 over allegations that Wasserman Schultz had rigged the primary in favor of Hillary Clinton. Greenwald wrote, “Tulsi Gabbard resigned as DNC Vice Chair in 2016 because Debbie Wasserman Schultz was rigging the election to ensure Hillary won — as Liz Warren, Donna Brazile, and WL all showed.” He added, “Imagine fighting for your country and then having pro-war cretins like this impugn your loyalties.”
Other critics invoked the infamous Russian dossier scandal, which was central to the Democrats’ allegations that Donald Trump had colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. One commentator wrote, “Debbie Wasserman Schultz was DNC Chair when Hillary Clinton ran for president—during the time the DNC got caught spying on Trump’s campaign paying to fabricate the fake Russian Dossier to discredit Trump.”
Ian Miles Cheong also took aim at Wasserman Schultz, referencing her involvement in the scandal surrounding Imran Awan, a former IT aide in her office who was arrested on charges of federal bank fraud and conspiracy. Awan was accused of mishandling sensitive information. In response to Wasserman Schultz’s allegations against Gabbard, Cheong called the claims “pure defamation” and called for a public response to clear Gabbard’s name.
Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat from Hawaii, has long been a vocal critic of both major parties, accusing them of being “warmongers” who fail to prioritize the needs of everyday Americans. She left the Democratic Party following her presidential run in 2020 and joined the Republican Party, citing its stance on key issues such as foreign policy, veterans’ rights, and free speech. Gabbard has served in the U.S. Army Reserves and is a Lieutenant Colonel, with more than 21 years of service, including a deployment to Iraq.
President-elect Donald Trump formally nominated Gabbard for the role of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), a position that would see her oversee the U.S. intelligence community, including the National Intelligence Program. In his announcement, Trump praised Gabbard for her service to the country and her broad appeal across party lines, calling her a “fearless spirit” who would champion the nation’s constitutional rights.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz should have been thrown out of Congress long ago. How can any one act the way she does and still insist she is working for the people? She is but a leading ugly sociailst & anti republican democrat that is a corrupt and dirty playing politician who crosses the line of decency every time she gets.
If I were in Putin’s position, and I had highly placed assets in the US, those assets would publicly accuse those I feared most of being Russian assets.