Trump Accuses Obama of Treason Over Russia Election Claims
President Alleges Predecessor Led Plot to Undermine 2016 Campaign
President Donald Trump has leveled a grave accusation against former President Barack Obama, alleging “treason” without presenting evidence. Trump claims Obama orchestrated a scheme to falsely link him to Russia and sabotage his 2016 presidential bid.
Obama Spokesperson Denounces “Ridiculous” Allegations
A representative for Obama swiftly dismissed the claims, labeling them “ridiculous” and a “weak attempt at distraction.” This marks a significant escalation in Trump’s frequent criticisms of his Democratic predecessor, venturing into allegations of criminal wrongdoing.
Intelligence Chief’s Claims Fuel President’s Accusations
During remarks from the Oval Office, Trump seized upon comments made by his intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard had threatened to refer Obama administration officials for prosecution, citing an intelligence assessment concerning Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Gabbard declassified documents she stated proved a “treasonous conspiracy” by top Obama-era officials to undermine Trump. Democrats have refuted these claims as baseless and politically motivated.
“It’s there, he’s guilty. This was treason,” Trump stated, offering no substantiation. “They tried to steal the election, they tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever imagined, even in other countries.”
—Donald Trump, U.S. President
Intelligence Assessments Contradict Trump’s Claims
A U.S. intelligence community assessment from January 2017 concluded that Russia employed social media disinformation, hacking, and bot farms to undermine Hillary Clinton‘s campaign and boost Trump. The report noted, however, that the impact was likely limited and found no evidence that Moscow’s actions altered voting outcomes.
A 2020 bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report also found that Russia utilized Republican operative Paul Manafort and the WikiLeaks website to attempt to influence the 2016 election in Trump‘s favor.
“Nothing in the document issued last week [by Gabbard] undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,” Patrick Rodenbush, Obama spokesperson, said in a statement.
—Patrick Rodenbush, Spokesperson for Barack Obama
Trump’s History of Conspiracy Theories and Distraction
Trump, known for promoting unfounded conspiracy theories, has repeatedly labeled these intelligence assessments a “hoax.” Recently, he shared a fabricated video on his Truth Social account depicting Obama‘s arrest.
Political observers suggest Trump‘s accusations may be an attempt to divert attention from pressure from his conservative base regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case. Many have urged Trump, who knew Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, to release related investigative files.
When asked about Epstein in the Oval Office, President Trump pivoted to attacking former President Obama and Secretary Clinton. The President alleged a “witch hunt” against him, claiming Obama was “caught absolutely cold” and had committed treason by attempting to “lead a coup” against him.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 8, 2024
Trump, when questioned about Epstein, immediately pivoted to attacking Obama and Clinton. He declared, “The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold.”
The President suggested punitive actions against Obama and former officials, characterizing the Russia investigation as treasonous and Obama guilty of attempting to orchestrate a coup.
“It’s time to start, after what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people. Obama has been caught directly,” Trump asserted.
—Donald Trump, U.S. President
Democratic Representative Jim Himes countered on X, stating, “This is a lie. And if he’s confused, the President should ask @SecRubio, who helped lead the bipartisan Senate investigation that unanimously concluded that there was no evidence of politicization in the intelligence community’s behavior around the 2016 election.”
Marco Rubio currently serves as Trump‘s secretary of state.
Trump’s Pattern of Targeting Political Opponents
Since his return to office, Trump has consistently criticized political opponents, alleging they weaponized the federal government against him and his allies. This includes accusations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and his handling of classified materials post-presidency.
Obama has long been a target for Trump, dating back to 2011 when Trump questioned Obama‘s birthplace, prompting the release of his birth certificate.
In recent times, Trump‘s rhetorical attacks on his Democratic predecessors have been notably intense, a departure from modern political norms.
He also launched an investigation into former President Joe Biden and his staff, alleging, without proof, a conspiracy to use an autopen for signing sensitive documents. Biden has denied this as false and preposterous.
Gabbard’s Claims Contradicted by Intelligence Reviews
Gabbard‘s assertion that Obama conspired to subvert the 2016 election by fabricating intelligence on Russian interference is contradicted by multiple sources. These include a CIA review ordered by Director John Ratcliffe, a 2018 bipartisan Senate report, and declassified documents released by Gabbard herself.
The documents suggest Gabbard conflated two distinct U.S. intelligence findings, incorrectly claiming Obama and his national security team altered an assessment on Russia’s intent to influence the election through cyber means.
One finding indicated Russia did not aim to hack U.S. election infrastructure to alter vote counts. The second finding suggested Moscow engaged in cyber operations to influence the U.S. political climate through information and propaganda, including data breaches from Democratic Party servers.
The January 2017 intelligence assessment, commissioned by Obama, built upon the second finding, asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations targeting the 2016 vote to benefit Trump.
Ratcliffe‘s review identified flaws in the production of that assessment but did not dispute its core conclusion, affirming the quality and credibility of a highly classified CIA report that informed the assessment’s authors. For instance, a 2022 report by the National Archives and Records Administration indicated that former presidents, including Obama, adhered to established protocols for handling presidential records.
