Politics Trump campaign seizes on Gabbard quote about Democratic party

05:36 21 november 2019

05:36 21 november 2019 Source: thehill.com

Gabbard Lawyers Demand Clinton Retract ‘Defamatory’ Russian Asset Comments

Gabbard received bipartisan criticism over her foreign policy, especially her view that Syria's Bashar al Assad is "not an enemy" of the U.S.“Your statement is defamatory, and we demand that you retract it immediately,” the 2020 presidential candidate’s lawyer wrote in in a letter obtained by The Hill, adding that Clinton should “immediately” renounce her remark.

The Trump campaign on Wednesday promoted a snippet of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) criticizing the Democratic Party.

Tulsi Gabbard holding a microphone: Trump campaign seizes on Gabbard quote about Democratic party

"Our Democratic Party, unfortunately is not the party that is of, by and for the people," Gabbard said in the six-second clip that was edited down and tweeted out by the Trump War Room account.

The comment came during a broader point from Gabbard during Wednesday night's debate about the need to shift U.S. foreign policy and end what she calls "regime change wars."

"Our Democratic Party, unfortunately, is not the party that is of, by and for the people." #DemDebatepic.twitter.com/B8Lq8i1NrR

Read: William Taylor's opening statement at impeachment hearing

Read: William Taylor's opening statement at impeachment hearing(Pictured) Donald Trump, accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaks on Oct. 23 in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.

- Trump War Room (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TrumpWarRoom) November 21, 2019

The Trump campaign's promotion of the clip highlighted the divide between Gabbard and other Democratic primary candidates who have been frustrated by her regular criticisms of the party and her frequent appearances on Fox News opinion shows.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) tore into Gabbard on those points in direct response to Gabbard's statement.

"I think it's unfortunate we have someone on this stage who is attempting to be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States who during the Obama administration spent four years, full time on Fox news criticizing President Obama," Harris said, "and then spends full time during the course of this campaign again criticizing the Democratic Party."

Gabbard replied that Harris could not dispute her substantive points and had to resort to what she described as "smears."

Obama Urges Democrats to ‘Chill Out’ About 2020 Presidential Field .
Former President Barack Obama urged Democrats on Thursday to “chill out” about the party’s 2020 field and to avoid putting candidates through “purity tests,” and warned that average voters are “nervous about changes that might take away what little they have.” Speaking to party donors a day after the latest Democratic primary debate, Mr. Obama added to a series of recent remarks about American politics and the presidential race, including his warning on Friday that the candidates not move too far to the left in their policy proposals and his observation that the average American does not want to “tear down the system.”Mr.