NOTE: VIDEO AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE.
Former President Barack Obama issued a rare public statement Tuesday night pushing back against what he called “bizarre allegations” made by President Donald Trump, who has accused the former commander-in-chief of orchestrating the now-debunked Trump–Russia collusion investigation.
Trump’s accusations came shortly after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified a new set of documents, which she claims expose the Obama administration’s alleged role in manufacturing intelligence used to launch the Russiagate probe.
Speaking from the Oval Office during a joint appearance with the president of the Philippines, Trump did not hold back. “President Obama. He started it,” he said. “He got it from crooked Hillary Clinton. The Steele report was a disaster — all lies, all fabrication, all admitted fraud.”
Trump went on to name top Obama-era officials he claims were part of the effort, including former Vice President Joe Biden, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey, DNI James Clapper, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.
The documents, Gabbard says, show that these officials helped politicize and weaponize U.S. intelligence to smear Trump and justify surveillance on his campaign. According to Fox News, Gabbard has now submitted a criminal referral to the Department of Justice, urging a full investigation.
Obama’s office, in an uncharacteristically direct statement delivered by spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush, dismissed the allegations.
“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,” Rodenbush said. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.”
“These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” he continued. “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.”
Rodenbush also pointed to a 2020 bipartisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired at the time by Senator Marco Rubio, which affirmed those same conclusions.
Christopher Steele, the former British spy behind the infamous anti-Trump dossier, was also mentioned by Trump as part of what he calls a “rigged setup.” The dossier, later discredited, was funded by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign through law firm Perkins Coie. Trump claimed this was the foundation used to obtain FISA warrants on former campaign adviser Carter Page.
While the newly released documents have ignited intense debate in conservative media circles, fact-checkers and intelligence experts have urged caution. A review by the Associated Press found no evidence that contradicts previous investigations or that conclusively proves intelligence was fabricated.
Furthermore, legal analysts note that no one has yet been charged with wrongdoing based on Gabbard’s referral. DOJ officials have acknowledged receiving the materials and formed a task force to assess their contents, but have not confirmed any criminal probe is underway.
Even Republican Senator Ted Cruz, speaking to reporters earlier this week, admitted that prosecuting a former president — even for alleged intelligence abuse — would be nearly impossible due to constitutional protections and lack of clear-cut evidence.
For now, this remains a politically charged narrative — not a legal conclusion.
PLAY:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p8NZHH0_vk
