Tulsi Gabbard Slams Trump: Being “Saudi Arabia’s Bitch is Not America First”

(TMU) — The media is, once again, insisting that we rely on anonymous statements from military officials and a few select images to justify war, this time with Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump is likewise posting threats of a military response on Twitter, saying we are “locked and loaded.”

“Saudi Arabia oil supply was attacked,” Trump on Sunday.

“There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!”

Saudi Arabia oil supply was attacked. There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2019

Trump, however, stops short of placing the blame on Iran in his latest round of tweets on the subject, instead saying that he is “waiting to hear” from Saudi Arabia.

Despite the fact that the U.S. provides Saudi oil terminals with U.S.-made Hawk surface-to-air missiles, spends at least $81 billion a year protecting oil supplies around the world, and recently deployed 500 troops to the Kingdom, the president alludes to the fact that the United States—the world’s leading military superpower—doesn’t have it’s own intelligence about what happened at the world’s largest oil processing facility.

At least two Democratic presidential contenders are not going to let the president’s reliance on Saudi Arabia for information about the attack slide.

In a tweet directly quoting Trump, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) slammed the U.S. president for his latest instance of failing to put “America First.”

“Trump awaits instructions from his Saudi masters,” Gabbard tweeted on Sunday.

“Having our country act as Saudi Arabia’s bitch is not ‘America First’.”

.@realDonaldTrump

Trump awaits instructions from his Saudi masters. Having our country act as Saudi Arabia's bitch is not "America First." https://t.co/kJOCpqwaQS

— Tulsi Gabbard ? (@TulsiGabbard) September 16, 2019

In a video released on Twitter, Gabbard declared:

“Yesterday President Trump offered to place our military, my brothers and sisters in uniform, under the command [sic] of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the dictator of the Islamist Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [sic]. Trump said, “[We] are locked and loaded, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed!” Mr. President, as you know, I have never engaged in hateful rhetoric against you [sic], or your family, and I never will, but your offering our military assets to the dictator of Saudi Arabia to use as he sees fit, is a betrayal of my brothers and sisters in uniform who are ready to give our lives for our country, not for the Islamist dictator of Saudi Arabia. For you to think that you can pimp out our proud servicemen and women to the Prince of Saudi Arabia is disgraceful, and it once again shows that you are unfit to serve as our commander in chief. As a member of Congress, and as a soldier, I and all of my brothers and sisters in uniform have taken an oath to protect and defend the American people and the Constitution of the United States of America. There is nothing in our Constitution that gives you the power to go to war without the express consent of Congress [sic], but to speak of giving you the power to offer our military to a foreign power like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to use as they wish — President Trump, your words and actions are a betrayal of my brothers and sisters in uniform, the American people, and our Constitution. My fellow servicemembers and I — we are not your prostitutes. You are not our pimp.”

.@realDonaldTrump Despicable. Offering to place our military assets under the command of a foreign country—Saudi Arabia—is a disgrace and betrayal of my patriotic brothers and sisters in uniform and to our Constitution. We are not your prostitutes. You are not our pimp. pic.twitter.com/Cu1OewEMOC

— Tulsi Gabbard ? (@TulsiGabbard) September 16, 2019

Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also responded to the president Monday, tweeting, “Mr. Trump, the Constitution of the United States is perfectly clear. Only Congress—not the president—can declare war.”

“Congress will not give you the authority to start another disastrous war in the Middle East just because the brutal Saudi dictatorship told you to.”

Mr. Trump, the Constitution of the United States is perfectly clear. Only Congress—not the president—can declare war. And Congress will not give you the authority to start another disastrous war in the Middle East just because the brutal Saudi dictatorship told you to. https://t.co/3wstui4O6I

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 16, 2019

Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tweeted Monday, “Congress has the constitutional power to declare war. Not the president. Not the Secretary of State. And definitely not Saudi Arabia.”

Congress has the Constitutional power to declare war.
Not the President.
Not the Secretary of State .
And DEFINITELY not Saudi Arabia.

This President lies about everything from weather maps and crowd sizes. There is no reason we should take his word on justifications for war. https://t.co/isE3RvLMpI

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 16, 2019

Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), recalled that “Congress has voted multiple times to end U.S. involvement in the war on Yemen” on Twitter, saying that the U.S. may now find itself in an “all out regional war with Iran” as Trump seeks instructions from Saudi Arabia rather than Congress or “the American people.”

https://twitter.com/jabdi/status/1173405454824857600

“The U.S. is not obligated to fight Saudi Arabia’s wars,” Abdi in a statement.

By Emma Fiala | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com