WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard fired another shot in Hillary Clinton’s direction — and chased it with a plea for campaign cash.
In a new video, Gabbard suggests Clinton had it out for her since 2016, when she left her position in the Democratic National Committee and endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president.
“People warned me in 2016 that my endorsement of Bernie Sanders would be the end of my quote-unquote political career. They said Clinton would never forget. That her rich and powerful friends, her allies in politics and in the media, will make sure you are destroyed,” Gabbard said in the video that she released via her Twitter account.
She’s dressed in a white pantsuit, with fall foliage in the background.
Gabbard points to the “countless hit pieces full of smears” that have come out against her since she started her campaign.
Most recently she’s been in a public spat with Clinton, who said Russia was grooming Gabbard to become an asset.
On the “Campaign HQ” podcast, the 2016 Democratic nominee and former secretary of state floated that Gabbard was a “favorite of the Russians.”
“I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate,” Clinton said, not saying Gabbard’s name, but not objecting when podcast host David Plouffe later said it.
Since then, Gabbard said she wouldn’t pursue a third-party bid.
The Hawaii House member is in danger of not having enough support in the polls to make the November debate stage.
Gabbard also lashed out at Clinton in a tweet.
“Great! Thank you @HillaryClinton. You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain,” Gabbard said Friday.
“From the day I announced my candidacy, there has been a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. We wondered who was behind it and why. Now we know – it was always you, through your proxies and powerful allies in the corporate media and war machine, afraid of the threat I pose.”
“It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me. Don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly,” Gabbard added.
On Sunday, Gabbard hammered Clinton again, asking supporters to help her “root out corruption” and “end the war machine’s stranglehold over our leaders.”
Gabbard blamed Clinton and the 2016 hopeful’s allies for trying to destroy her reputation.
“But if they can falsely portray me as a traitor than they can do it to anyone,” Gabbard said.
“And, in fact, that’s exactly the message they want to get across to you. That if you stand up against Hillary and the party power brokers. That if you stand up to the rich and powerful elite and war machine, they will destroy you and discredit your message.”
Gabbard then linked the new video to her website asking supporters to help her “take back the Democratic Party from corrupt elite.”