'They are great friends': Speculation swirls over Gabbard as Syria's Assad is under threat
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump's pick to head U.S. intelligence departments, became the subject of jokes and speculation as violence in Syria escalated.
Trump over the weekend declared that the U.S. "should have nothing to do with" fighting in Syria, prompting outrage among some experts who pointed out there are American troops there. Late on Saturday evening, reports suggested the rebels were close to toppling the regime of President Bashar Assad.
Enter Gabbard, who has been accused of cozying up to foreign enemies, including the Syrian leader.
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Political observers on social media made the connection between the two.
Former Republican lawmaker and Trump critic Adam Kinzinger said, " will offer Assad safe harbor at her house?"
"They are great friends," Kinzinger added.
In a separate post, Kinzinger said, "Remember, Tulsi Gabbard claimed Assad didn't use chemical weapons, it was 'the rebels.' Her confirmation hearing will be brutal, if she even makes it to there."
Pekka Kallioniemi, an expert on social media and disinformation, posted a video on X of a woman destroying a room in anger along with the caption, "Tulsi Gabbard after the Spirit of Aloha didn't save Assad's regime."
Charlotte Clymer, an Army Veteran and a writer who works for the Human Rights Campaign, had this to say on social media:
"Assad is going down. Tough day for Tulsi Gabbard."
Author and scholar Steven Beschloss asked, "Any doubt Tulsi Gabbard is fearing if Assad falls?"
Former Trump official John Bolton also implied that Syrian records could reveal that Gabbard is on their payroll, according to media reports.