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Tulsi Gabbard Sparks Tweetalanche After Accusing Trump of ‘Acting Like Saudi Arabia’s B****’

© AP Photo / J. Scott ApplewhiteRep. Tulsi Gabbard
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard - Sputnik International
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Earlier, following reports that Houthi kamikaze drones had struck two major Saudi oil processing facilities, the president tweeted that he was “waiting to hear from the Kingdom” on who Riyadh thought was responsible, and how the two countries should proceed from here.

Hawaii Congresswoman and Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard took a shot at President Donald Trump after he tweeted about the US being “locked and loaded” and ready to respond pending Saudi conclusions on who was responsible for this weekend’s drone attacks against the country’s oil supplies.

Addressing the president at his @realDonaldTrump handle, Gabbard accused him of awaiting “instructions from his Saudi masters,” and blasting the president using his own “America First” rhetoric.

“Having our country act as Saudi Arabia’s b**** is not ‘America First’,” Gabbard wrote.

The congresswoman’s tweet immediately sparked off a massive online debate, racking up tens of thousands of likes and over 4,000 comments in the space of several hours.

Many users showed support for Gabbard, producing memes suggesting that she had ‘owned’ Trump  and praising her for her outspoken stance.

Trump supporters defended the president however, telling Gabbard she would never be president, and asking her to “get some soap,” presumably to wash out her ‘dirty mouth’ for using the ‘b’ word, while insisting that “the only president that ever bowed to the Saudis” was Barack Obama, a Democrat.

Some also accused Gabbard, who met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in early 2017 during a fact-finding mission to the country, of criticizing Trump while “consistently refusing to hold…Assad responsible.”

Even a few supporters suggested that Gabbard should tone down her rhetoric and “avoid swearing on the campaign trail,” saying she needed to get the influential baby boomer vote.

Others joked that Tulsi had blown her chances of becoming Trump’s national security with the tweet. Gabbard had met with then President-elect Trump in late 2016 as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, urging him to end what she described as America’s “illegal war to overthrow the Syrian government.” Media even speculated at the time that she might join Trump’s cabinet, although that eventuality never came to pass.

Finally, some users took aim at Tulsi’s own party, asking why the Democratic National Committee did not let her take part in last week’s Democratic debate, despite the fact that she outpolled at least two other Democratic hopefuls appeared on the debate stage.

A Democrat from the left flank of the Democratic Party, Tulsi Gabbard has been outspoken in her criticism of the US’s interventionist foreign policy, and served two tours of duty as a major in the US Army in the Middle East, including a 12-month tour in a field medical unit in Iraq between 2004 and 2005. Supportive of Trump’s anti-interventionist promises ahead of the 2016 election, Gabbard began to criticise the president’s policies, especially those related to the Syria, Iran, and nuclear disarmament, after he stepped into office.

Although he is known for coming up with insulting nicknames against his political rivals, Trump has yet to take notice of Gabbard or respond to her attacks against him.

Attacks on Saudi Aramco

Gabbard’s latest criticism of Trump followed Saturday’s attacks on two major oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia. Although Yemen’s Houthi militia group almost immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Iran was responsible, with Trump similarly suspecting Tehran. Iran vocally denied the “absurd” claims, and accused Washington of embarking on a policy of “maximum deceit.” On Monday, a Saudi coalition spokesman said that Riyadh's preliminary conclusion was that the attackers used Iranian-made weapons which did not originate in Yemen. Iran has yet to comment on these claims, but did indicate later Monday that Yemen had every right to “protect themselves” from Saudi attacks.

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