Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard testified at a weaponization subcommittee hearing on Thursday, ripping Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney for accusing her of “treason.”
“Senator Mitt Romney accused me of treason, a crime that is punishable by death under our laws,” Gabbard told the committee. “I challenged him to back this serious allegation up with evidence. What was this based on? There was no response, no explanation, no evidence and certainly no apology.”
Tulsi Gabbard calls out Mitt Romney for accusing her of treason. pic.twitter.com/IKHelwm0ki
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 9, 2023
The allegations of Gabbard’s “treasonous” behavior stem from a tweet the former representative shared expressing concern that reported biolabs in Ukraine, if breached, could result in “deadly pathogens” being spread throughout the world. Romney responded to Gabbard’s video with his own tweet, saying, “Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives.”
Gabbard, who was a member of the Hawaii National Guard, continued her testimony by pointing out that those kinds of accusations are often shrugged off and dismissed as politics.
“That may be easy for some of you to say, but for somebody who wears the uniform, this is serious. It’s serious not only to me but to my fellow service members and veterans. Every one of us making a decision that at some point in our lives to raise our right hand prepared and volunteering to lay our life down for this country,” she stated.
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 09: Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii testifies during the first hearing of the Weaponization of the Federal Government subcommittee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on February 09, 2023 in Washington, DC. This was the first hearing of the new subcommittee, created by a sharply divided Congress to scrutinize what Republican members have charged is an effort by the federal government to target and silence conservatives. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Gabbard left the Democratic Party in October, claiming it was “controlled by fanatical ideologues who hate freedom” and further stating that the party would actively work with the corporate media and Big Tech to silence anyone who questioned their agenda.
The new House subcommittee that heard her testimony is investigating claims regarding the weaponization of the federal government, specifically “the politicization of the FBI and DOJ and attacks on American civil liberties,” NPR stated.
“When those who dare to challenge the establishment targeted by this powerful conglomerate of government, corporate media and Big Tech weaponizing all that they have against the people for their own selfish gain, it has a dangerous, chilling effect on free speech, and it sends a very powerful message: if you dare to challenge us, we will come after you,” she said to the committee. (RELATED: Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Suggests Google Censorship Blew Up Her Presidential Campaign)
“The more we allow this to happen, we start looking less and less like a democratic republic and more and more like a banana republic,” she added.