Hirono: Gabbard Tied to David Duke, Steve Bannon, Russia

Politico, March 9, 2019: … Asked about the presidential candidacy of fellow Hawaiian Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Hirono appeared reluctant to extinguish the feud that began between the Aloha State lawmakers in January — when Gabbard in an op-ed accused Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee of “religious bigotry” in their questioning of a Trump nominee for a district judgeship.

“I wish her well,” Hirono said of Gabbard on Sunday.

“She had called me a religious bigot, which was totally unfounded,” Hirono continued. “And I thought, ‘Wow.’ If she wants to be in the lane that has the support of David Duke and Bannon and the Russian bots, she’s got that lane. That’s not my lane.”

Hirono also took aim at Gabbard’s much-criticized meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017, remarking: “I think I joined everyone in saying, ‘What the heck what is that all about?’”…

read … Hirono at SXSW: Trump's rhetoric and policies 'give me a lot of reasons to be vocal and visible'

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Hirono: Impeaching Trump Would Make Him a Martyr

Newsweek, March 9, 2019: … During his March 2 marathon speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), President Donald Trump referred to Senator Mazie Hirono as the "crazy female senator," but rather than be offended by the remark, the junior senator from Hawaii says it's a "badge of honor" and has some choice words of her own for the president.

"This is the second time that he’s referred to me as the ‘crazy female senator from Hawaii,’" said Hirono when asked during a Politico Playbook event about the president's apparent nickname for her. "I’ve decided that the reason he doesn’t say my name is because he can’t figure out how to pronounce it and doesn't want to look foolish in front of his adoring audience."….

Then the senator had some names of her own for Trump.

“He’s a liar; he lies every single day," she claimed. "He’s a misogynist. He’s an admitted sexual predator, and he attacks everyone who doesn’t agree with him. And the only thing that will save us is his resignation.”…

Later during the program, Hirono stressed that while she believes it is "time to investigate" Trump and his tax returns, she cautioned against the push for the new Democratic majority to immediately impeach the president. "We should not be rushing in to impeach him... I certainly don't want to end up making the president a martyr."…

read … HIRONO: TRUMP CAN CALL ME 'CRAZY FEMALE' BUT HE'S AN 'ADMITTED SEXUAL PREDATOR'