Chaos in Syria: Despite Claims of a Ceasefire, Deadly Violence Continues; Hillary Clinton Seems to Suggest Russians "Grooming" Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for Third-Party 2020 Run
TAPPER: In our 2020 lead, Hillary Clinton is suggesting that Russians are grooming a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful to run as a third party candidate and spoil the race for the Democrats. Take a listen to her remarks in the new podcast from David Plouffe.</s>HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: 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. She's the favorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far.</s>TAPPER: And when asked if Clinton was referring to Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Democrat of Hawaii, a Clinton spokesman said, quote, if the nesting doll fits. He added, quote: 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. Nia, I mean, just because they have -- she has views that might align with Russia on some matters, including Syria for example, is that really responsible for Hillary Clinton to say she's a Russian asset like out of the movie "Red Sparrow"?</s>NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Right, and something off of sort of social media and the Twitter-verse, too, as well, because this is what you hear. You know, if you are on Twitter, this is a lot of the conversation around Tulsi Gabbard from many Democrats who do see that she or feel like she is a spoiler in this race and that her views align with Russia in many ways. But it is. It is surprise coming from Hillary Clinton in many ways. But again, I mean, she went through this in 2016. I think part of her strategy here is to say, there are always things that could be going on in this election that we didn't pay attention to in 2016 and she sort of is raising sort of a warning sign going forward for what might happen in 2020. That is sort of a charitable view of what she could be doing.</s>TAPPER: Sol, Gabbard just tweeted a response. Let me read it. She said, quote: 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 has been a 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 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. There is a bigger foreign policy debate to be had and Tulsi Gabbard very aggressively talks about ending the forever wars. She's a veteran. She has standing to say that. And now, she's saying, Hillary Clinton, you're behind the smear campaign against me, join the race. It's you against me.</s>CARPENTER: Yes. So, they're not friends right now. Listen, Gabbard's statements were a little overwrought but she has ever right to defend herself. A former secretary of state is declaring her to be a Russian asset. That is deeply unfair. And if you have a problem with the way Donald Trump smears people, well, you need to take a look at Hillary Clinton because what she just did to Tulsi is no better than what Donald Trump does to people all of the time.</s>TAPPER: And Hillary Clinton goes on, Nayyera, to suggest that Putin has compromising dirt on President Trump. So what do you make of that?</s>HAQ: Well, we do know that Russians writ large do look for opportunities to peel off third-party candidates, so such as the Jill Stein challenges and that individual states can turn on one or two percentage points. So I think there is a broader question of how Russia will look to take advantage of 2020 and instill its own version of chaos 2.0.</s>TAPPER: Mueller, I don't think, was able to find any evidence of this rumor that the Russians have anything. But I'll tell you, all of this discord and I'm not blaming this on anybody in this country, but Putin I'm sure loves this.</s>COLLINS: Of course they do. This is exactly what they did lay out in the Mueller report just how much they like to sow disinformation and that is when Hillary Clinton makes a claim like this, there are valid critiques of Tulsi Gabbard, but to say something like this, it just makes you wonder.</s>TAPPER: Well, just bring the evidence if you have it. And if not, don't say that somebody is a Russian asset.</s>COLLINS: She couldn't confirm it in her own words that it was Tulsi she was referencing. An aide confirmed on in a background statement.</s>CARPENTER: She's going to own it now.</s>TAPPER: Yes. A group of woman journalists demanding an investigation of NBC after those disturbing allegations against Matt Lauer and the executives there, the author who sparked this reexamination of those charges joins me next. Stay with us.