Increase in Death Threats Against Barack Obama Following Trump's Allegations of Treason
In the past week, former U.S. President Barack Obama has faced a surge in online threats, including calls for imprisonment and execution. This surge comes following allegations by President Donald Trump and DNI Tulsi Gabbard of Obama's involvement in treason regarding Russian influence in the 2016 presidential elections.
According to reports, comments targeting Obama have increased significantly on various social media platforms. On Truth Social, the number of such comments calling Obama treasonous and deserving of imprisonment or execution has increased by 1,100%. On Gab, the number of comments targeting Obama increased by 433%, while on Telegram, the number of such comments increased from zero to 12.
These alarming developments have not gone unnoticed. Obama's office released a statement rebutting the allegations, calling them "outrageous." The White House and DNI have strongly condemned all forms of violence. Obama himself has denied these allegations.
The surge in threats occurred between July 17 and July 20, following Trump's posts on his social media platform, which included an AI-generated video showing Obama's arrest and imprisonment. Trump has also continued to make comments about Obama, calling him "the leader of the gang" in relation to the Russia investigation.
It is important to note that the 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio, affirmed that while Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election, they did not successfully manipulate any votes. This finding was also affirmed in Obama's office's statement, which stated that Russia did not manipulate any votes in the 2016 election.
Trump has also accused other political opponents, including John Brennan, of unlawfully conspiring against him. However, there is no credible or verified information from the search results indicating that any person between July 17 and July 20, 2022, generated a high number of social media comments calling for the imprisonment or execution of Barack Obama.
In light of these developments, it is crucial that all parties involved exercise caution and responsibility in their public statements and actions. The safety and security of all U.S. citizens, including former presidents, must be a top priority.
