Politics

FACT CHECK: Was Tulsi Gabbard ‘Labeled’ A ‘Right-Wing Extremist’ By The New York Times?

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An image shared on Facebook claims that The New York Times “labeled” Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard a “right-wing extremist.”

“Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat, whose political views are considered to be similar to Bernie Sanders, is being labeled a ‘right-wing extremist’ by the Liberal New York Times – in case you wondered what the political spectrum now looks like,” reads the caption.

Verdict: False

The Daily Caller News Foundation found no instance of the NYT calling Gabbard a “right-wing extremist.”

Fact Check:

The NYT published an article titled “What, Exactly, Is Tulsi Gabbard Up To?” on Oct. 12. In that article, reporter Lisa Lerer observed that an “unusual array of Americans” have expressed support for Gabbard.

“On podcasts and online videos, in interviews and Twitter feeds, alt-right internet stars, white nationalists, libertarian activists and some of the biggest boosters of Mr. Trump heap praise on Ms. Gabbard,” wrote Lerer.

Gabbard, who threatened to boycott the recent Democratic primary debate in Ohio, called it a “smear piece” on Twitter.

As if to prove my point, NYT just published a “greatest hits” smear piece. All your favorite hits in one article! These are the folks who will be acting as the “neutral” questioners/moderators of Tuesday’s debate lol

— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) October 12, 2019

“As if to prove my point, NYT just published a ‘greatest hits’ smear piece,” tweeted Gabbard after the release of the article. “All your favorite hits in one article! These are the folks who will be acting as the ‘neutral’ questioners/moderators of Tuesday’s debate lol.”

Some political commentators have argued that it portrays Gabbard as a “right-wing extremist,” and it’s possible that these characterizations of the article spurred the claim that appears in the Facebook post.

Yet, while some have called it a “hit piece,” nowhere in the article was Gabbard labeled a “right-wing extremist,” as the Facebook post claims. The DCNF also searched for instances in the NYT archive but found none.

The NYT didn’t return a request for comment.

Gabbard’s campaign has so far been defined by her anti-war, non-interventionist foreign policy stance and her break from other Democratic candidates, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, on such issues as the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, abortion and decriminalization of illegal crossings at the southern border.