Tulsi Gabbard Labeled a 'Russian Asset' for Pushing U.S. Biolabs in Ukraine Claim

Authored by newsweek.com and submitted by redwineandbeer
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Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard has been condemned as a "traitor" and accused of being a "Russian asset" for comments her detractors said lent credibility to Kremlin propaganda that U.S.-funded laboratories are working on bio weapons in Ukraine.

In a tweet posted on Sunday, the 2020 presidential hopeful cited the risk posed by biological laboratories at a time Moscow has been pushing a consipiracy theory that they are working on bio weapons in an apparent attempt to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In a video, Gabbard said the "undeniable facts" are that 35 to 40 "U.S. funded bio labs" in Ukraine are conducting research into dangerous pathogens. Gabbard went on to express concerns that these "deadly pathogens" could be released if the labs in Ukraine are targeted amid the conflict with Russia.

"Like COVID, these pathogens know no borders," Gabbard said. "If they are inadvertently or purposely breached or compromised, they will quickly spread all throughout Europe, the United States and the rest of the world, causing untold suffering and death."

Gabbard has also recently appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show to discuss claims of Ukraine developing bio weapons, clips of which were played on Russian state television.

While Gabbard did not repeat the claims of Ukraine developing bio weapons with U.S. military backing, a number of people criticized Gabbard's tweet for appearing to echo falsehoods being peddled by Russia.

GOP rep. Adam Kinzinger tweeted that Gabbard was spreading "actual Russian propaganda" and accused her of being "traitorous."

Others also accused Gabbard of appearing to be working on behalf of Russia by helping them spread conspiracy theories about U.S.-funded bio labs in Ukraine.

David Weissman, a U.S. Army veteran known for no longer supporting Donald Trump, tweeted: "Can it be any more clearer? Comrade Tulsi Gabbard's latest video proves Hillary Clinton's claim to Tulsi being a Russian asset."

Jon Cooper, a prominent Barack Obama fundraiser and former National Finance Chair of Draft Biden 2016, added: "Who's the bigger TRAITOR—Tucker Carlson or Tulsi Gabbard?"

Screenwriter and Forbes contributor Mark Hughes wrote: "Tulsi Gabbard is a traitor & a Russian agent who belongs in military prison."

In a reply to Gabbard's tweet, director Gerard Bush called the congresswoman a "treasonous liar; a Russian asset and a stain on American democracy."

Bush added: "Have you [no] moral compass? How low are you willing to go in support of Putin, while betraying your own country? Despicable."

Republican Senator Mitt Romney gave some of the harshest condemnation of the former Hawaii Democratic Congresswoman, tweeting that she is "parroting false Russian propaganda" and that her "treasonous lies may well cost lives."

While the World Health Organization recently advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens being housed in their labs to prevent an outbreak if they are attacked, there is no evidence that the U.S. is funding work on bio weapons.

Read more QAnon Embraces Russia Conspiracy Theories on Ukraine Labs QAnon Embraces Russia Conspiracy Theories on Ukraine Labs

The White House, Pentagon and State Department have all dismissed the reports that the U.S. and Ukraine are working together to create biological and chemical weapons, describing the conspiracy theories as "laughable" and an attempt from Moscow to justify its "own horrific actions" in Ukraine.

The U.S and Ukraine have been working together since 2005 to research deadly pathogens as part of the Pentagon's Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP).

The partnership between the U.S. Defense Department and the Ukraine Ministry of Health is part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (CTR), which began in 1991 with the aim of reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction following the fall of the Soviet Union.

According to a fact sheet released by the Defense Department, the U.S. works with Ukraine and other countries to research the threats of dangerous diseases affecting both animals and humans.

Through BTRP, the U.S. has invested $200 million in Ukraine since 2005 to support 46 Ukrainian laboratories and their research into disease threats. Such work in Ukraine helped the country in its response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

There is no evidence of U.S.-funded labs in Ukraine developing germ warfare capabilities. Similar conspiracy theories have been pushed by Russia for decades, including claims that HIV/AIDS was developed in a U.S. military lab.

In January, weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, the Defense Department release a video to discuss the "false allegations" regarding its CTR program, including stating that each country's biological laboratories are "owned, operated and managed by host governments to meet local needs."

Gabbard has been contacted for comment.

Correction 3/14/22, 12 p.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify Gabbard did not share misinformation.

brokenmessiah on March 14th, 2022 at 14:56 UTC »

Tucker Carlson did too

Buck_Thorn on March 14th, 2022 at 13:25 UTC »

I haven't specifically followed her path from fame into infamy, so I have to rely on a quick read of Wikipedia, but in the process, I found these nuggets. I took the time to add the links to some of Wikipedia's footnotes for completeness where I thought it important to do so. An bolding is my own:

On October 2019, false and later corrected stories[167] claimed that former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said that Russia was "grooming" a female Democrat to run as a third-party candidate, who would help President Donald Trump win reelection via a spoiler effect.[168][169] The media understood Clinton to be referring to Gabbard, which Nick Merril, a Clinton spokesperson, seemed to confirm to CNN by saying: "If the nesting doll fits"; however, Gabbard repeatedly said she would not run as a third-party candidate in 2020 and did not do so.[169][170][171] Gabbard was defended by a number of fellow 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, who rejected Clinton's suggestion that Gabbard was a Russian asset.[172][173][174]

Trump also defended Gabbard.[175][176] Gabbard filed a defamation lawsuit against Clinton in January 2020,[177] but dropped it five months later.[178] To represent her in her lawsuit against Clinton, Gabbard retained two attorneys with the Los Angeles law firm Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht and Davidoff Hutcher & Citron which, during the Mueller probe into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, also had represented George Papadopoulos and Rudy Giuliani.[179]

Gabbard's presidential campaign received endorsements from David Duke and Richard B. Spencer.[180]

ssbmhero on March 14th, 2022 at 12:17 UTC »

I’ll say it.

I was wrong about tulsi gabbard.