As C&L’s Ed Scarce pointed out, Hillary Clinton didn’t name Gabbard when she made the remarks in October and yet we all knew whom she meant:
The Russians already have their “eye on somebody who’s currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,” she said, in an apparent reference to Gabbard.
“She’s the favorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her, so far,” Clinton told David Plouffe, the podcast’s host and the campaign manager for former President Obama’s 2008 campaign.
But when Tucker Carlson asked Gabbard soon afterward if she was a “Russian sleeper cell,” she never denied it. I don’t know about you, but if anyone asked me such a question, especially if I was running for president, I’d make a big point of refuting it. Doubly so if the suggestion caused me $50 million worth of pain.
In January, Gabbard sued Clinton for defamation, claiming Clinton held a grudge against her because she was “the most prominent politician” at the time to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016.
Today, CNN reported:
But the lawsuit stood very little chance of success, legal experts said when it was filed.
…Gabbard … used the suit to drum up attention to her campaign and attack Clinton ahead of the Iowa caucuses, which took place days after the lawsuit was filed. The strategy did not work, as Gabbard finished with barely any support in the contest.
New York’s Daily News notes:
Gabbard, who represents Hawaii in Congress, was the only Democratic primary contender who opposed Trump’s impeachment. Her small base of support was made up largely of Republicans and the handful of Democrats who support Trump.
However, Gabbard seems to be back in the fold, just as Trump’s re-election chances diminish:
"I know Vice President Biden and his wife and am grateful to have called his son Beau, who also served in the National Guard, a friend," Gabbard said in a statement. "Although I may not agree with the Vice President on every issue, I know that he has a good heart and is motivated by his love for our country and the American people."
