Increase in Death Threats against Barack Obama following Trump's Accusations of Treason
In the recent political climate, a significant increase in threatening comments aimed at former President Barack Obama has been observed on various social media platforms. According to reports, comments on Truth Social, a platform founded by the former President Donald Trump, calling Obama treasonous and deserving of either imprisonment or execution rose by an astounding 1,100 percent between election day polls on July 17 and July 20. Similar trends were observed on Gab, where comments calling for Obama's imprisonment or execution increased by 433 percent during the same election day period. The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) has attributed this surge in bigoted and violent rhetoric to the targeting of individuals with online posts by political leaders. The organisation has stated that Trump's conspiracy-laden and racist posts on Obama have inflamed extremists and further normalized unacceptable language in a democracy. The surge in threatening comments followed the administration's claim that Obama's administration 'manipulated and withheld' key information on Russian involvement in the 2016 election polls. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, made these allegations in a report she released, accusing Obama and members of his administration of manufacturing intelligence regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. However, Obama's office released a statement rebutting these allegations, calling them 'outrageous' and a 'weak attempt at distraction.' The statement affirmed that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election polls but did not successfully manipulate any votes. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, strongly condemns all forms of violence and believes in investigating wrongdoing and holding those accountable for criminal activities. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle echoed these sentiments, strongly condemning all forms of violence and believing in accountability for criminal activity. Former U.S. President Barack Obama has been the subject of online death threats and calls for imprisonment. He has denied the allegations made against him. Tulsi Gabbard has said she would refer the officials to the Justice Department for prosecution. The bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio, affirmed these findings in a 2020 report. The threats started after Tulsi Gabbard's allegations regarding Obama and Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election polls. It is important to note that the person who experienced a steep increase in social media comments calling for Barack Obama's imprisonment or execution between election day polls on July 17 and 20 is not explicitly named in the search results; however, significant attention during that period relates to former President Barack Obama himself in the context of political tensions and reactions to violence against conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Trump, too, has been involved in the escalating rhetoric, accusing Obama of treason, trying to steal the election, and obfuscating the election polls. He called Obama 'the leader of the gang' in relation to the Russia investigation on Tuesday. As the political landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial to maintain a commitment to peaceful discourse and to uphold the values of a democratic society.
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