Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is a veteran, life-long public servant, and liberal woman of color. Yet according to Hillary Clinton, the Hawaii Democrat is a “Russian asset” and traitor to her country.

Even more reprehensible than Clinton’s smears against Gabbard , which are without evidence, is the shameless peddling of the attacks by the former secretary of state’s media stooges — for example, some of the hosts of The View, the popular ABC daytime show. After Clinton’s comments made headlines a few weeks ago, hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin doubled down on the smear, adding that Gabbard was a “useful idiot” and “Trojan horse.”

Gabbard didn’t take the slight lying down. On Wednesday, she joined the hosts of The View on-air and rightfully called Behar out to her face for her irresponsible rhetoric.

They opened up with a question about impeachment, but Gabbard pivoted.

Well, the facts are important. But I want to start with something that I think is also important ... About facts. Because recently on your show here … some of you have accused me of being a traitor to my country, a Russian asset, a Trojan horse, or a useful idiot, I think was the term that you used ... I want to let your viewers know exactly who I am — set the record straight. I am a patriot. I love our country. I am a strong and intelligent woman of color, and I have dedicated almost my entire adult life to protecting the safety, security, and freedom of all Americans in this country.

All of this is exactly right, and credit to the congresswoman for confronting her critics to their faces. The accusations that she is somehow loyal to Russia are absurd and offensive. There is zero evidence to support such sinister conspiracy theories. As a matter of fact, Gabbard has done far more than Behar or Clinton ever have to display her love of country. Love or hate her politics, Gabbard is a combat veteran and patriot who twice deployed to Iraq.

Meanwhile, all Clinton has done is send troops into harm’s way in failed regime change efforts such as Libya, and Behar sits behind a desk spewing incoherent, 5th-grade level political analysis on television for a living.

Unfortunately, even after Gabbard’s thorough refutation, Behar only continued with the foolish smears and bad faith attacks. She responded to Gabbard’s statements not with thoughtful reflection, but with smears once again.

“Richard Spencer says he could vote for you,” Behar continued, absurdly implying that a Samoan woman of color is a closet white supremacist, or something. Gabbard was having none of it: “You and other people keep spreading innuendos that have nothing to do with who I am.”

Of course, Gabbard has repeatedly denounced Spencer and similar figures. And unsavory people are always going to support someone. For example, the alt-right loves Rep. Ilhan Omar for her attacks on Israel. But Behar almost certainly won’t use that to declare the socialist sweetheart and Muslim woman a secret Nazi. She only has it in for Gabbard because of Clinton's influence.

All in all, the way the hosts handled this segment reflects extremely poorly on The View. Yet it offers just another piece of evidence that, despite all the establishment’s smears against her, Tulsi Gabbard is a class act.