Cliff Notes – President Trump accuses Obama of ‘treason,’ without providing evidence
- President Trump has accused former President Obama of “treason” regarding the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, citing unverified claims.
- Obama’s office responded, labelling the accusations as “bizarre” and a feeble distraction, while emphasising their commitment to not dignify misinformation.
- A 2017 intelligence assessment confirmed Russian interference in the election but found no evidence that it altered the outcome, contradicting Trump’s claims.
Trump accuses Obama of ‘treason,’ without providing evidence
US President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of “treason” on Tuesday without providing evidence.
Trump cited his intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, who on Friday declassified documents that allegedly showed how Obama administration laid the groundwork for an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
“It’s there, he’s guilty. This was treason,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“They tried to steal the election, they tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever imagined, even in other countries,” Trump claimed, without offering any proof.
Trump’s remarks came as he deflected questions from journalists about the Justice Department’s decision to interview Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of helping the financier sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Obama’s office slams ‘bizarre’ deflection
The office of the former president later hit back with a statement saying Trump’s “bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”
“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,” said Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush.
“But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.”
A 2017 assessment by the US intelligence community concluded that Russia used social media disinformation, hacking and bot farms to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and bolster Trump. But the same assessment determined that the impact was likely limited and there was no evidence that Russia’s efforts altered the election outcome.
In 2020, a bipartisan report by the Senate Intelligence Committee — spearheaded by then acting chairman Marco Rubio, now Trump’s secretary of state — found that the Trump campaign sought to “maximise the impact” of leaks of Democratic documents stolen by Russian military intelligence.
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