Tulsi Gabbard's January fact finding trip to Syria received criticism from establishment politicians and partisan pundits alike. This week, the trip received renewed attention after a Lebanese newspaper supposedly published a transcript of the meeting.
While Gabbard's stated goal of the trip was to "see and hear directly from the Syrian people," the focus for many was on her meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Now, some are questioning the content of that conversation, as the alleged transcript shows her asking very pointed questions from Trump himself.
Namely, Gabbard supposedly said, “This is a question to you coming from President Trump which he asked me to convey to you. So let me repeat the question: If President Trump contacted you, would you answer the call?”
Gabbard firmly denies that Trump had any involvement in the planning or execution of her trip, and maintains that this report is false.
Further, a spokeswoman for Gabbard stated:
"The exchange described in this story never happened...There was no message or question from Trump because as the congresswoman has previously stated, the Trump Administration was not aware or involved in her trip in any way..."
These denials have not stopped some from voicing their skepticism on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/charliearchy/status/848918838456442880
https://twitter.com/cwebbonline/status/849105860211089408
It appears most likely that this supposed exchange will be forgotten, at least for now, overshadowed by the tragic and deadly chemical weapons attack that took place in Northern Syria early Tuesday.
Image Source: Flickr.com / Tulsi Gabbard