On Tuesday, Donald Trump made waves once again, accusing former President Barack Obama of treason and demanding his prosecution. The bold claim comes in the wake of a controversial new report that alleges key figures in Obama’s administration manipulated intelligence regarding Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election.
Tulsi Gabbard, the current Director of National Intelligence, has reportedly referred the matter to the Justice Department, suggesting that Obama-era officials engaged in what she described as a “treasonous conspiracy.” According to Gabbard, the intelligence surrounding Russia’s interference was allegedly distorted to create a narrative that undermined Trump’s presidency.
This latest claim, however, clashes with multiple investigations conducted over several years. Between 2019 and 2023, four independent probes—criminal, intelligence, and congressional—concluded that Russia did indeed interfere in the 2016 election to support Trump’s candidacy.
Speaking during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Trump was asked about the report and didn’t hold back. “Based on what I’ve seen, it all started with President Obama,” he said. Just a day earlier, Trump drew criticism for sharing an AI-generated video depicting Obama being arrested.
He also pointed fingers at other prominent figures from the previous administration, including Joe Biden, James Comey, James Clapper, and John Brennan. Trump insisted that Obama was the “leader of the gang,” directly accusing him of treason.
Trump has consistently dismissed the investigations into Russian interference as a “hoax,” despite bipartisan findings suggesting otherwise. A 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report—led at the time by Republican Senator Marco Rubio—revealed that the Trump campaign worked to capitalize on Democratic emails stolen by Russian operatives.
That same report warned that both the hacking and the Trump campaign’s actions posed a significant national security risk, calling it one of the most serious counterintelligence concerns in recent American history.
