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Joy Behar Claimed She Never Called Tulsi Gabbard A ‘Useful Idiot’ — 2 Weeks Ago She Used Those Exact Words

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Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Joy Behar falsely claimed that she had never referred to Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as a “useful idiot” with regard to the Russians.

Gabbard made a Wednesday appearance on “The View,” and immediately launched an offensive against the hosts she felt had helped to spread false stories about her. (RELATED: ‘She Is Her Own Person’: Beto O’Rourke Defends Tulsi Gabbard Against Claims She’s A ‘Russian Asset’)

Responding to a question about the ongoing impeachment inquiry, Gabbard said, “Well, look. The facts are important, and we’ll get to that. 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 —”

Joy Behar objected, saying, “We haven’t accused you.”

But just two weeks earlier, following comments from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who suggested that Gabbard was “being groomed” by the Russians to be a third-party spoiler in 2020, Sunny Hostin did, in fact, say that Gabbard was a “Trojan horse.”

“I mean for me, honestly, Hillary’s dead on with so many things. She told us about Russia, about the probable interference. She was Secretary of State. She has deep world knowledge of the issues. I thought, where’s the lie?” Hostin said on “The View” on October 21. “Tulsi is sort of the Trojan horse in this. She’s polling only at 1.2%, yet she’s still in the race. You have her being touted by people like Fox News personalities like Tucker Carlson.”

WATCH:

Gabbard then turned her attention to Behar, saying, “‘Useful idiot’ I think is the term that you used.”

Behar objected to that as well, adding, “That’s a Russian term. They used that.”

But once again, Gabbard was right. During that same October 21 show, Behar criticized Gabbard for calling Clinton a “warmonger” and added, “I don’t say that Tulsi is an agent. I just think that she could be a useful idiot the way Trump is a useful idiot to the Russians.”

“I want to let your viewers know exactly who I am,” Gabbard added. “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, the security and the freedom of all Americans in this country.”

Tulsi Gabbard appears on "The View" with Joy Behar. Screen Shot/ABC

Tulsi Gabbard appears on “The View” with Joy Behar. Screen Shot/ABC

Behar later attempted to explain further. “I want to straighten a couple of things out. I have never said, I know Hillary Clinton thinks you’re a witting asset. You might be unwitting. Not that that means you’re stupid, but you can be used,” Behar said.

“That’s what it means though,” Gabbard argued. “It’s offensive to say I’m a witting or unwitting asset of a foreign country. This is a country that I’m willing to lay my life down for. If you are saying it’s not deliberately, then you are implying — that I am too stupid and naive and lack the intelligence to know what I am doing.”