View hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin supported former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s claim that 2020 hopeful Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is a “Russian asset.” Hostin believes Gabbard is “the trojan horse” of 2020 because she often appears on Fox News, was endorsed by white supremacist David Duke, which she renounced, and receives praise from online Russian bots and websites.

“Hillary’s been dead on with so many things. She told us about Russia, she told us about the probable interference during the debates, she was Secretary of State, she has deep knowledge about world issues. I thought where’s the lie.” Hostin argued, “Tulsi is sort of the trojan horse in this. She’s polling at only 1.2 percent, yet she’s still in the race.”

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

Gabbard doubled down in a statement she shared on Twitter Friday. “Great! Thank you Hillary Clinton. 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’s been a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation,” Gabbard wrote.

“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’s response wasn’t enough for Joy Behar, who told viewers she wasn’t because Gabbard failed to deny her alleged ties to Russia. “Hillary’s been right about almost everything. She’s been exonerated with that nonsense that they pulled about her server already,” Behar said.

“This idea that she’s doing this to get back in the race… I don’t buy that either. I don’t think Hillary wants to go through it again. I don’t say that Tulsi is an agent. I just think that she could be a useful idiot the way that Trump is a useful idiot to the Russians.”