Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday continued to promote the conspiracy theory that the United States government is covering up Saudi Arabia's role in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Gabbard, a congresswoman from Hawaii, sent an email to supporters with the subject line, "We deserve all the information on 9/11."
"The American people still don't have access to the truth about Saudi Arabia and who helped Al Qaeda carry out these deadly attacks," Gabbard wrote in the email. "It is absolutely unacceptable that our government's investigation into Saudi ties has been kept from these 9/11 families and from the American people."
The email also included a link to a video on Gabbard's website, which is featured alongside a petition that calls on President Donald Trump to "declassify and release all information regarding the 9/11 attack."
Gabbard, the founder and co-chair of the Post-9/11 Veterans Caucus, didn't specify what information she wants publicly released. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied involvement in the 9/11 attacks, though 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.
Gabbard, a four-term congresswoman, served two tours of duty in the Middle East with the Hawaii Army National Guard. The first female combat veteran ever elected to Congress, she is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and previously sat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
She has made her military experience and foreign policy credentials the focus of her presidential bid, which has struggled to gain momentum; the Washington Post notes that she is currently polling at or below 3 percent in most polls. Her stances on foreign policy issues have come under intense scrutiny from some 2020 Democrats — though have been glorified by the far-right and conservative media.
Gabbard, who describes herself a "hawk" on terrorism, most recently faced accusations that she is a "Russian asset." The claim, made by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was denounced by her 2020 rivals, including Trump.
Last week, Rep. Gabbard advocated for relatives of 9/11 victims who filed a lawsuit seeking the release of documents that they believe link the attackers to Saudi government officials.
"We are 18 years removed from this terrible crime, and the victims of this crime, the families who are here today, the American people deserve all of the evidence to fully come to light," Gabbard said at an event in New York City with the plaintiffs. She added she was looking not for "a highly redacted version of this information that makes no sense but a declassified version that actually speaks the truth of what led to the attack on 9/11."
On that same day, Gabbard introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives that calls on the government to release documents related to 9/11. A similar resolution was introduced by former Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., in 2017.
"The truth is being withheld from the families of those who were killed on 9/11, and from the American people," Gabbard claimed. "Full disclosure of these facts is not only necessary for these families, it is essential for our national security and to keep the American people safe."
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