A new report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), released Friday by Director Tulsi Gabbard, accuses senior members of the Obama administration of manufacturing and politicizing intelligence after the 2016 presidential election to undermine President Donald Trump.
The document, which Gabbard’s office describes as containing “overwhelming evidence,” alleges that former President Barack Obama and top national security officials deliberately laid the groundwork for what it calls a years-long campaign to delegitimize Trump’s presidency.
The report has sparked swift backlash from Obama’s office.
In a rare public response, Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush issued a strongly worded statement condemning the claims.
“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 and merit one,” Rodenbush stated.
“These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”
Gabbard’s report contends that high-ranking officials within the Obama administration weaponized the intelligence community in late 2016 and early 2017 to suggest that Trump’s campaign was working with Russian operatives.
It alleges that this intelligence was manipulated to give credence to what later became known as the “Russia Collusion” investigation, which dominated Trump’s early presidency.
“This was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump,” reads the report’s accompanying press release.
It does not cite specific names beyond Obama but refers to “national security cabinet members” being involved in the alleged effort.
Rodenbush countered by emphasizing that the conclusions of previous investigations remain valid.
“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,” he said.
He also pointed to findings from the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, which affirmed these conclusions under the leadership of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Despite the denials, former President Trump reacted forcefully to the ODNI report.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump claimed the allegations prove wrongdoing at the highest levels of government.
“He’s guilty. It’s not a question, you know, I like to say, ‘Let’s give it time.’ It’s there. He’s guilty,” Trump said, referring to Obama.
“This was treason. This was every word you can think of. They tried to steal the election. They tried to obfuscate the election.”
Trump then contrasted this situation with his decision in 2017 not to pursue charges against Hillary Clinton for her private email server scandal.
“You know, when we caught Hillary Clinton, I said, ‘You know what, let’s not… go too far here; It’s the ex-wife of a president.’ And I thought it was sort of terrible, and I let her off the hook. And I’m very happy I did,” Trump said.
He continued, “After what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people. Obama’s been caught directly. So people say, ‘Oh, you know a group.’ It’s not a group, it’s Obama. His orders are on the paper. The papers are signed.”
The report does not include publicly released documentation allegedly linking Obama directly to any orders. However, Trump insisted during his remarks that there is physical evidence tying the former president to the accusations.
Breitbart News outlined that in previous years, multiple investigations examined the question of Russian interference and potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russian individuals.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation concluded that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election, there was insufficient evidence to charge any Trump campaign official with conspiracy.
Additionally, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s final report, issued in 2020, confirmed that Russia sought to interfere in the election through various means, including disinformation campaigns and cyber operations.
It also found multiple contacts between Trump associates and Russian nationals but did not conclude a conspiracy existed.
The Gabbard ODNI report has not been reviewed or confirmed by Congress or other federal intelligence agencies at this time.
It remains unclear whether hearings or investigations will follow in the House or Senate.
As of now, neither the Department of Justice nor the FBI has made any public statements regarding the report or any possible criminal investigations that may result from it.
WATCH:
The post Obama Officials Dub Trump’s Explosive ‘Treason’ Allegations ‘Outrageous’ and ‘Bizarre’ in Rare, Head-Turning Public Response: ‘Weak Attempt at Distraction’ appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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