Yes, really: The headline captures what former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
(CNN) Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Thursday that the Russians are currently "grooming" a Democrat running in the presidential primary to run as a third-party candidate and champion their interests.
The comment appears to be directed at Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who has been accused of being cozy with Russia in the past. "I'm not making any predictions, but 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, speaking on a podcast with former Obama adviser David Plouffe. "She's the favorite of the Russians."
Clinton never names Gabbard, but there are only five women running for President -- Gabbard, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and author Marianne Williamson -- and none of the other women have been accused of being boosted by Russia.
As you might suspect, the rightwing noise machine went straight into overdrive from this, with pieces up on Fox News, the Washington Examiner, and the National Review all aiming to ridicule former Secretary Clinton’s assertions. However, when asked to confirm whether she was in fact referencing Gabbard, Clinton’s reply was a simple one: “If the nesting doll fits.”
Friday, Oct 25, 2019 · 9:34:03 PM +00:00 · Jessica Sutherland
Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill later pushed back against the characterization of former Secretary Clinton’s comments. The “they” who Clinton thinks are “grooming” the unnamed “Russian favorite” are Republicans.
The headline has been changed to reflect this.
Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill had a bit more to add to his boss’ assertion.
"This is not some outlandish claim. This is reality," Merrill said. "If the Russian propaganda machine, both their state media and their bot and troll operations, is backing a candidate aligned with their interests, that is just a reality, it is not speculation."
Merrill is right. Gabbard has received inordinate support from Russian bots on Twitter, the alt-right hate machine, and rightwing sites such as the Drudge Report, as this New York Times article attests. In this corner of the internet, Gabbard is positioned as the winner of the Democratic debates in which she participates.
“Perhaps strangest of all is the unusual array of Americans who cannot seem to get enough of her
“On podcasts and online videos, in interviews and twitter feeds, alt-right internet stars, white nationalists, libertarian activists and some of the biggest boosters of Mr. Trump heap praise on Ms. Gabbard.”
[...]
Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump’s former chief strategist, is impressed with her political talent. Richard B. Spencer, the white nationalist leader, says he could vote for her. Former Representative Ron Paul praises her “libertarian instincts,” while Franklin Graham, the influential evangelist, finds her “refreshing.”
But back to Secretary Clinton, who did not hold back in the podcast interview, also confirming her belief that Green Party candidate Jill Stein was a “Russian asset” in their campaign to elect Donald Trump in 2016.
"That's assuming Jill Stein will give (the third-party candidacy) up (to Gabbard), which she might not, because she's also a Russian asset," Clinton said. "Yes, she's a Russian asset, I mean, totally. They know they can't win without a third-party candidate."
CNN notes that Gabbard claimed she’d ruled out a third-party bid during an August interview. She calls allegations that she is a tool of the Russians “despicable.” However, she did not return calls from CNN for comment in response to Secretary Clinton’s assertions.
Update: it appears that Gabbard has now responded via Twitter. Her response—and it’s a doozy—is below, screencapped and collated for your convenience and permanence by Yashar Ali.