Democratic candidates for president have recently been guests on The View.  Today it was  Representative Tulsi Gabbard’s turn. In what became a contentious exchange, she was asked by Meghan McCain about her controversial past defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

MM: When I hear the name Tulsi Gabbard, I think of  an Assad apologist, I think of someone who comes back to the United States and is spouting propaganda from Syria. You have said that the Syrian president, Assad, is not the enemy of the United States, yet he’s used chemical weapons against his own people 300 times. That was a red line with President Obama. That is not our enemy? 13 million Syrians have been displaced. So when you say regime change is hurtful for the country, but gassing children isn’t more hurtful, it’s hard for me to understand where you come from as a humanitarian standpoint if you were to  become president. 

TG: You’re putting words in my mouth that I’ve never said, first of all.

MM: You did not say that Syrian President Assad is not the enemy of the United States? Say it now, clarify.

TG: (chuckles) The issue here is how can we help alleviate the suffering of the people.

MM: One moment. Is he the enemy of the United States? 

TG: An enemy of the United States is someone who threatens our safety and our security. 

We did some fact checking and Gabbard did indeed say Assad wasn’t the enemy of the United States just two weeks ago on MSNBC.

Watch more of the interview above.