Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
The office of former President Barack Obama has criticized President Trump after he accused the former president of a “treasonous conspiracy” during the 2016 election.
Some shit you should know before you read: Yesterday, President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that President Obama, along with then-Vice President Joe Biden and top intelligence officials including James Comey, James Clapper, and John Brennan, had engaged in what he called a “treasonous conspiracy” to undermine the 2016 election. Trump claimed Obama had been “caught directly,” alleging that the former president orchestrated an effort to manipulate intelligence and sabotage Trump’s presidency before it began. As justification, Trump pointed to documents recently declassified and released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which she claims reveal that intelligence officials deliberately suppressed an assessment in December 2016 stating that Russia had not impacted the election outcome. Gabbard alleged the report was pulled from the President’s Daily Brief “based on new guidance,” suggesting an attempt to conceal contrary intelligence and lay the groundwork for what she described as a multi-year “coup” against Trump. Gabbard has since submitted the materials to the Justice Department for potential criminal investigation.
What’s going on now: In response to President Trump’s claims, Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for Obama’s presidential office, said, “Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response, but these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction. Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.”
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers like Senator Mark Warner, accused the Trump administration of attempting to “rewrite history” and undermine trust in intelligence agencies. “This is just another example of the DNI trying to cook the books, rewrite history, and erode trust in the intelligence agencies she’s supposed to be leading,” Warner said.
Meanwhile, Trump allies have embraced Gabbard’s claims as evidence of a broader effort to target the former president, praising her call for a criminal investigation. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said, “The White House is appreciative of Director Gabbard’s commitment to transparency and her effort to end the weaponization of government against American citizens.”
