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Former Hawaii Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard claimed President Joe Biden is trying to "divide" Americans by supporting voting rights.
Gabbard's remarks came after Biden called on Americans “defend the right to vote, our democracy against all enemies foreign and yes, domestic” during a speech in Georgia as the Senate continues efforts to pass comprehensive voting rights legislation.
In his speech, President Biden asked his audience to consider whether they'd like to be on the same side of history as the civil rights advocate Martin Luther King or the one favored by the hard-line segregationist George Wallace, the former Alabama Governor who once stood in front of the entrance of the University of Alabama in a bid to stop racial integration.
The President's statements angered Gabbard, who said Biden "promised to unite us, but he is doing all he can do divide us," comparing his words to those of former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who once referred to former President Donald Trump's supporters as "a basket of deplorables."
Hillary\u2019s calling tens of millions of Americans deplorables was divisive & disgusting. But Biden has gone further, calling those who disagree with his actions & policies domestic enemies, traitors, and racists. Biden promised to unite us, but he is doing all he can do divide us.pic.twitter.com/1XKS9rfZQT— Tulsi Gabbard \ud83c\udf3a (@Tulsi Gabbard \ud83c\udf3a) 1642044243
Voting rights have taken center stage again after West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, one of the party's right leaning moderates, refused to back the "Build Back Better" agenda, an effort by House and Senate Democrats to codify much of their economic and social policy via a major spending bill.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has made clear that the Senate would “consider changes to any rules which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation,” including voting rights legislation, reigniting debates on whether or not to abolish the filibuster.
President Biden previously announced his support for amending Senate rules and changing the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation.
Many have criticized Gabbard, who now works as a commentator for Fox News, for her remarks.
Here Tulsi Gabbard labels the right to vote as a mere "Biden policy" in order to make his invocation of domestic enemies who seek to undermine it into an authoritarian declaration of taking power rather than a democratic one returning power.\n\nSo her "policy", in turn, is clear.https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Alexandra Erin (@Alexandra Erin) 1642082801
orrrrr they are traitors and racists, and so are you. hope this helpshttps://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Manchin Gun Kelly (@Manchin Gun Kelly) 1642081278
It\u2019s important that the President of the United States call domestic terrorists what they are. Also, you\u2019ll never be the President of the United States, Tulsi #NeverForgetJanuary6thhttps://twitter.com/tulsigabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Tara Dublin, Untapped Writing Goldmine #SignTara (@Tara Dublin, Untapped Writing Goldmine #SignTara) 1642056467
Tulsi's back auditioning for Fox News again.https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Victoria Brownworth (@Victoria Brownworth) 1642059478
Remember folks, when Republican politicians try to actively keep The Lessers from voting, that's not divisive, that's just "disagreement."\n\nIt's only "divisive" when a Democrat calls them out on it.https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Just like Ronnie said... (@Just like Ronnie said...) 1642063300
Fuck off Tulsi. Who the hell asked you!?\n#Traitor \n#JohnLewisVotingRightsActhttps://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Blue Wave 2022 #Resist #FBR (@Blue Wave 2022 #Resist #FBR) 1642072213
Another "progressive" turned fascist brown shirt. It's like an epidemic. What would we call this variant?https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Tom Watson (@Tom Watson) 1642079105
Wait, so supporting everyone's right to vote is divisive? Only if you want to live in a dictatorship. Oh, & as far as Hillary's comment, she didn't go far enough. When a group of people attack the U.S. Capitol, in hopes of reversing an election, they're far worse than deplorable.https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1481467050027466752\u00a0\u2026— Craig Rozniecki (@Craig Rozniecki) 1642080089
Gabbard represents just a small part of the opposition to legislative reform in regard to voting rights.
The office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said in a memo that Democrats are pushing “the left’s Big Lie,” accusing them of orchestrating “fake hysteria” over voting rights.
Democrats will “try to use fake hysteria to break the Senate and silence millions of Americans’ voices so they can take over elections and ram through their radical agenda,” McConnell said in the memo, a likely reference to attempts to reform the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation.
Schumer plans to force a rules change by January 17 if Republicans block the Freedom to Vote Act, which includes safeguards against undermining the voting process.