Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaks during the Democratic presidential candidates debate in Westerville, Ohio, October 15, 2019. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

After Hillary Clinton suggested that the Russian government was “grooming” her for a third-party run in the 2020 presidential elections, Hawaii representative and Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard returned fire Friday afternoon, challenging the 2016 Democratic nominee to join her in the 2020 primaries.

In a fiery response to Clinton’s accusation, Gabbard called the former secretary of state “the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long.”

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. From the day I announced my candidacy, there has been a … — Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) October 18, 2019

… 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. — Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) October 18, 2019

The staunchly non-interventionist Gabbard has been consistently dogged by suggestions that her campaign panders to the alt-right and Russia. During Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, she accused CNN and the New York Times, who were co-hosting the event, of smearing her with “completely despicable coverage.”



Clinton made headlines earlier Friday for suggesting that Gabbard was “the favorite of the Russians” among the field, and that the Kremlin was “grooming” her for a “vigorous third-party challenge in the key states” in 2020.

Editor’s Note: Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill states that Clinton’s “grooming” comment was in reference to the GOP, not the Russians.

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