Democrats Attack Tulsi Gabbard Over Assad Meeting as Photo Emerges of Nancy Pelosi Meeting Him in 2007
Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee have aggressively challenged Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), over her 2017 meeting with Syrian leader Bashar Assad. However, the attacks took an ironic turn when an image surfaced of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi sitting with Assad in 2007, raising questions about the selective outrage of Gabbard’s critics.
During her confirmation hearing, Democratic lawmakers accused Gabbard of legitimizing a dictator by meeting with Assad, who was later accused of using chemical weapons during Syria’s brutal civil war. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and a National Guard lieutenant colonel, has defended her visit, arguing that direct diplomacy is essential to preventing unnecessary wars.
Yet, the newly resurfaced photo of Pelosi’s 2007 meeting with Assad has prompted critics to call out the double standard. Pelosi, who visited Syria while serving as House Speaker, sat face-to-face with Assad in Damascus, a meeting that she defended at the time as an effort to pursue diplomatic solutions in the Middle East.
Republicans were quick to seize on the hypocrisy. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, pointed out the inconsistency, stating, "It’s stunning to see Democrats attack Gabbard for something their own party leadership once did without a second thought."
Even some Democrats appeared caught off guard by the revelation, with Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) dodging questions from reporters about whether Pelosi’s meeting was any different from Gabbard’s.
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