Trump and Obama's disagreement escalates over accusations of Russian meddling
In a surprising turn of events, former President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of treason this week. The allegations stem from Trump's claims that Obama and his top aides misled the public about Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
Tulsi Gabbard's office released documents alleging these misleading actions, but critics have dismissed them as being out of step with intelligence community findings. The Trump administration's attacks and document releases have focused on the Obama administration's handling of Russian election interference.
Multiple investigations, including those led by former special counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate Intelligence Committee, have concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. The Senate Intelligence Committee's 2020 report stated that the Russian government demonstrated a preference for candidate Trump in the election. Mueller's report from 2019 found that Russia interfered in the election, partly through a social media campaign that favored Trump.
Gabbard has accused Obama of a "treasonous conspiracy," though she did not specify any specific crime in her latest statement. Obama's office issued a rare public statement to dismiss the allegations against him as "outrageous" and a "weak attempt at distraction."
Democrats view Trump's attacks on former President Obama as a return to a tired playbook at a time when he is facing unrest from some in his own party over the Epstein case and criticisms from political rivals. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) stated that Republicans blame Barack Obama when they have nothing affirmative to present to the American people.
Andrew Bates, a former spokesperson in the Obama and Biden administrations, stated that Trump's lies about other presidents and random tangents are panicked excuses. The Beltway has been consumed with stories about the case of Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019, and calls for more transparency regarding the case.
Trump has a history of personal animus towards former President Obama, dating back to before he was in office, including leading the "birther" conspiracy, claiming Obama "spied" on his campaign, and attacking Obama during the 2024 campaign. Gabbard claims Obama officials "manufactured intelligence" about Russia's election interference.
The Russia investigation has been a long-standing focus for GOP lawmakers and Trump's base. The confrontation between Trump and Obama is considered a significant political battle. Obama responded with a rare public rebuke against Trump.
In a separate development, Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that his name appeared in the Epstein documents. The office of the Director of the National Intelligence Service (NDB) in 2025 was held by Serge Bavaud, who was appointed on September 12, 2025, and took office on November 1, 2025. Tulsi Gabbard is not linked to this role; she was confirmed as director of the 18 US intelligence agencies, which is unrelated to the Swiss NDB.
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