This week, The Washington Post published a lengthy investigation based on a trove of mysterious memos that memorialized political guidance for Tulsi Gabbard during her time in Congress in the 2010s. The Post found unmistakable parallels between the guidance and Gabbard’s actions, raising questions about who was telling Gabbard what to do.
Some of the memos featured talking points for Gabbard to use during upcoming TV interviews. A Post review of 32 such memos found that on 24 occasions, she used language from the documents almost verbatim. In the eight other instances, she used different words but promoted some of the same ideas.
Here are clips from three TV interviews in which Gabbard’s remarks closely resembled the talking-points memos:
“On the Record” with Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, Oct. 2, 2015
Gabbard is asked about her stance that the U.S. should stop aiding efforts to oust Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
“On the Record” with Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, Jan. 27, 2015
Gabbard is asked about her complaint that President Barack Obama will not use the term “Islamic extremism.”
“The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” CNN, Jan. 23, 2015
Gabbard discusses her belief that Secretary of State John F. Kerry misunderstood what motivates extremists. It is not poverty, she argues, but ideology.
The Post obtained the memos from Rebecca Saltzburg, a former digital strategist for Gabbard’s campaigns, who was also a member of the faith group that Gabbard grew up in, a Hare Krishna offshoot called the Science of Identity Foundation. Saltzburg said the language in the memos came from Chris Butler, SIF’s founder. Gabbard has described Butler as her guru.
Sunil Khemaney, an associate of Butler and Gabbard, disputed Saltzburg’s claim. Khemaney told The Post that most of the guidance came from him or from Gabbard’s father, a Hawaii state senator. For the story published Sunday, The Post examined the documents to evaluate the rival claims.
Gabbard, who until last week was the director of national intelligence, did not answer The Post’s questions for that investigation. Neither did Butler or SIF. Their representatives provided statements that attacked Saltzburg’s credibility and characterized The Post’s reporting as a product of religious bigotry.
They did not respond to questions for this report.
Read The Post’s investigation.
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