Trump Accuses Obama of Treason Over 2016 Election Interference Claims Amid Gabbard's Intelligence Dispute

President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama have resurfaced tensions amid investigations tied to Russia’s role in the 2016 election and ongoing criticism related to Jeffrey Epstein. On November 10, 2016, Trump and Obama held their only substantive meeting, which was later repurposed by Trump in an AI-generated video depicting Obama being arrested by FBI agents. This week, Trump has renewed his longstanding fixation on Obama, repeatedly referring to him as "Barack Hussein Obama." On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard publicly accused Obama of orchestrating an intelligence assessment intended to undermine Trump's presidency, asserting that multiple pieces of evidence confirm this and alleging it amounted to a "yearslong coup and a treasonous conspiracy against the American people, our republic," with criminal referrals sent to the Justice Department. Trump responded to questions about his handling of Epstein-related files by shifting focus to accusations of treason against Obama. The dispute reignited the bitter feud between the two former presidents and drew a rare formal rebuke from Obama's office.

On Tuesday, during an event discussing trade with Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. held in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama and members of his administration of committing treason related to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This accusation followed the release of documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Friday, which she claimed implicated Obama administration officials in treasonous behavior during the 2016 election. Trump named Obama, current President Joe Biden, then-FBI Director James Comey, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and then-CIA Director John Brennan as involved figures, describing them as "the whole group" who were together in a room working against him.

However, these claims are contested. CNN reporters Jeremy Herb and Katie Bo Lillis reviewed the documents and consulted individuals involved in a bipartisan Senate review of the 2016 election. The consensus remains that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it did not successfully alter vote counts by hacking voting systems. This conclusion was affirmed by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee in a 2020 report, chaired by then-Senator Marco Rubio.

The White House press secretary responded strongly to these allegations, stating, "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," adding the allegations were "ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction."

During the press interaction, when asked who the Department of Justice should investigate based on the referral submitted by Tulsi Gabbard, Trump reiterated his accusations against Obama and his associates. The Oval Office setting was described as being adorned with gold filigree, portraits from the White House vault, and a concealed copy of the Declaration of Independence behind a curtain.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of treason related to the 2016 presidential election during an event in the Oval Office with Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Trump made the claim in response to a question about a criminal referral submitted by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to the Department of Justice that implicates members of the Obama administration in allegedly treasonous behavior. Trump named Obama, then-Vice President Joe Biden, then-FBI Director James Comey, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and then-CIA Director John Brennan as involved figures, stating, "Based on what I read... it would be President Obama. He started it." Trump claimed, "They tried to rig the election, and they got caught. And there should be very severe consequences for that," though he presented no evidence to support these allegations. The accusations follow Trump reposting an AI-generated fake video depicting Obama's arrest. The Obama administration responded through spokesman Patrick Rodenbush, who 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." Rodenbush called the allegations "bizarre," "ridiculous," and a "weak attempt at distraction." The spokesperson emphasized that "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 reaffirmed in a 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report chaired by Marco Rubio. The event took place in the Oval Office, described by Trump as "much more beautiful than it was then." This occurrence highlights ongoing disputes and conspiracy claims from the former president regarding the 2016 election and Russia's role.

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence under the second Trump administration, publicly questioned the widely accepted view that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. In interviews, she alleged that the Obama administration ordered a fabricated intelligence document concerning Russian election interference. Gabbard cited an intelligence memo purportedly stating Russia did not try to influence the election outcome.

Her claims directly contradict findings from bipartisan congressional investigations and statements from top Trump officials, including Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican. Rubio affirmed in 2018 that the intelligence community's assessment of Russian interference was "100% accurate," confirming that Russia sought to interfere and that Vladimir Putin ordered efforts to hack Democratic Party networks and release damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

The congressional committee reported that the Russian government, under Putin's direction, aimed to sow discord in American society and undermine faith in the democratic process.

Gabbard's statements challenge three widely accepted facts: that Russia interfered, that Putin ordered the interference, and that the interference was intended to help Trump. These assertions are in direct opposition to other members of the Trump administration, who uniformly acknowledged Russian interference aimed at benefiting Trump.

On July 8, 2025, a rare statement from former President Barack Obama refuted former President Donald Trump's allegations that Obama was the 'ringleader' of the Russiagate conspiracy. Obama’s spokesman, Patrick Rodenbush, called Trump's accusations 'outrageous,' 'ridiculous,' and a 'weak attempt at distraction.' These statements came after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released documents accusing Obama administration officials of treason related to the 2016 election interference by Russia.

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and a member of the Trump administration in 2025, publicly cast doubt on the widely accepted view that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Contrary to official intelligence findings and bipartisan congressional investigations, including ones led by then-Senator Marco Rubio, Gabbard claimed that the intelligence suggesting Russian interference was manufactured. She presented a memo that alleged the assessment that Vladimir Putin directed efforts to aid Trump's 2016 victory was false.

The bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020 had reported that Russia, under Putin’s direction, hacked Democratic Party networks and sought to influence the election to favor Trump, aiming to sow discord and undermine faith in the democratic process. Rubio and other officials have maintained the conclusion of Russian interference was 100% accurate.

During an Oval Office event discussing trade with the Philippines, Trump accused Obama, alongside Joe Biden, FBI Director James Comey, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and CIA Director John Brennan, of treason—a crime punishable by death. Trump reiterated that these officials conspired against him during the 2016 election. Despite these allegations, no evidence has been produced to challenge the intelligence community's consensus that Russia interfered but did not manipulate votes.

Trump’s response and Gabbard's allegations sharply diverge from the assessments of other Trump administration members and bipartisan investigations, leaving their claims widely disputed.

Tulsi Gabbard, serving as Director of National Intelligence during the second Trump administration, publicly disputed the well-established conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. While Gabbard was a Democratic member of Congress until 2021 and previously affirmed in 2018 that the intelligence community's assessment of Russian interference was "100% accurate," she later claimed in Fox News interviews that the Russian interference narrative was fabricated. She accused the Obama administration of creating a manufactured intelligence document and cited a document purportedly stating Russia did not attempt to affect the election's outcome.

Gabbard's claims contradict statements by top Trump administration officials, including Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), who in 2018 strongly affirmed the accuracy of the intelligence community's findings that Russia interfered to benefit Donald Trump. Congressional investigations led by Republicans also concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered efforts to hack Democratic Party networks and leak damaging information about Hillary Clinton to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process and help Trump win the presidency.

The memo that Gabbard referenced described the intelligence assessment as falsely alleging Putin directed interference to help Trump. However, Gabbard's position directly opposes three pillars of the consensus view: that Russia interfered at all, that Putin ordered it, and that it aimed to assist Trump's campaign.

This divergence is notable given the broader Trump administration consensus confirming Russian interference and Putin's involvement. Rubio had publicly rebuked President Trump in 2018 for siding with Putin over the U.S. intelligence community on this issue, calling the interference "not a good moment for the administration." Thus, Gabbard's stance represents a sharp and significant departure from positions held by other leading figures in the Trump administration.

Tulsi Gabbard has publicly threatened to initiate a criminal referral against officials from the Obama administration regarding their assessment of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This move comes amid escalating controversies over intelligence evaluations and political narratives about election interference. Gabbard, a prominent political figure and former congressional representative, accused these officials of misconduct related to their interpretation and dissemination of intelligence on election interference. Concurrently, legal experts have analyzed and criticized Gabbard’s claims about intelligence matters, providing detailed breakdowns that question the validity and basis of her assertions. The situation has sparked renewed political tensions, with Senator Mark Warner intensifying his criticism of Gabbard during an address at the Aspen conference. Warner's critique reflects growing dissent within political and intelligence circles regarding Gabbard’s approach to the sensitive topic of election integrity and intelligence reliability. These developments highlight ongoing divisions over how the events of the 2016 election are viewed and the implications for U.S. political discourse. The immediate outcomes include increased media scrutiny, legal assessments of Gabbard’s claims, and political debates, all contributing to a charged atmosphere in U.S. politics concerning electoral investigations and intelligence accountability.