President Donald Trump slammed failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for claiming, without evidence, that 2020 White House hopeful Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is “the favorite of the Russians.”

Trump tweeted, “So now Crooked Hillary is at it again! She is calling Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard “a Russian favorite,” and Jill Stein “a Russian asset,” the president tweeted on Saturday. “As you may have heard, I was called a big Russia lover also (actually, I do like Russian people. I like all people!). Hillary’s gone Crazy!”

So now Crooked Hillary is at it again! She is calling Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard “a Russian favorite,” and Jill Stein “a Russian asset.” As you may have heard, I was called a big Russia lover also (actually, I do like Russian people. I like all people!). Hillary’s gone Crazy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 20, 2019

The president’s defense of Gabbard comes after Clinton smeared Gabbard in a recent interview as “the favorite of the Russians,” who was being “groomed” by the Kremlin as a potential third-party candidate.

Appearing on a podcast hosted by David Plouffe, President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign manager, the failed presidential candidate claimed of the Hawaii Democrat:

[Russia] has a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting [Gabbard] so far. That’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because she is also a Russian asset. They know they can’t win without a third-party candidate, and so I do not know who it’s going to be, but I can guarantee you they will have a vigorous third-party challenge in the key states that they most need it.

Hours later, Gabbard — a combat military veteran and Army National Guard Major — slammed the Obama-era secretary of state in a series of tweets, calling her the “queen of warmongers” and accused her of being behind a New York Times hit piece published prior to Tuesday evening’s Democrat presidential debate:

… 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 … — 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

Of the entire 2020 Democrat primary field, only technology entrepreneur Andrew Yang and new age author Marianne Williamson defended Gabbard against Clinton’s loaded accusations.

“Tulsi Gabbard deserves much more respect and thanks than this. She literally just got back from serving our country abroad,” tweeted Yang.

Williamson wrote: “The Democratic establishment has got to stop smearing women it finds inconvenient! The character assassination of women who don’t toe the party line will backfire. Stay strong @TulsiGabbard. You deserve respect and you have mine.”