Russiagate reignited: Tulsi Gabbard says Barack Obama engineered false intel, DOJ to review charg
In a shocking and unprecedented move, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard publicly accused former President Barack Obama and his top aides of leading what she called a “treasonous conspiracy.” According to Gabbard, Obama’s team intentionally pushed a false intelligence report in 2017 claiming that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election to help Donald Trump win.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Gabbard said there is “irrefutable evidence” that Obama and his national security officials directed intelligence agencies to create a misleading narrative. She also announced she had declassified a five-year-old Republican report from the House Intelligence Committee to support her claims.
This is the first time a top U.S. intelligence official has directly accused a former president of such a serious offense. Critics quickly pushed back.
Democrats Slam Gabbard’s Allegations
An Obama spokesperson called the allegations “ridiculous” and accused the Trump administration of trying to distract the public from growing calls to release sealed Jeffrey Epstein files.
Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Gabbard’s claims were dangerous and completely unfounded. “She’s trying to rewrite history,” he said, warning that accusing a former president of treason without evidence is extremely reckless.
Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, also blasted the move, saying it could put U.S. intelligence sources at risk. “The Trump administration seems willing to declassify anything—except the Epstein files,” he said.
What’s in the Declassified Report?
The report Gabbard released was originally created by Republicans in 2018. It questioned one key part of the 2017 intelligence assessment: that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted Trump to win.
While the report did agree that Russia interfered in the election by hacking emails and spreading misinformation, it argued that the evidence for Putin’s personal motivation was shaky. The report suggested that this claim relied on a single, vague source and that some CIA officials had concerns about including it.
It also accused then-CIA Director John Brennan of pushing to include the controversial assessment in the final report.
Senate Report Told a Different Story
Notably, a separate investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee—backed by both Democrats and Republicans—reached the opposite conclusion. After three years of investigation and over 200 interviews, the Senate report said there was strong evidence that Russia aimed to hurt Hillary Clinton’s chances and help Trump.
Even Marco Rubio, Trump’s current Secretary of State and acting Senate Intelligence Chair at the time, signed off on the Senate’s findings along with every other committee member.
A Long-Running Debate, Still Dividing the Nation
Gabbard’s announcement has reignited an old, bitter debate over the 2016 election and whether Russia’s meddling made a difference.
Though U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed the interference, they never stated whether it directly changed the outcome of the vote. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation also found no clear evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s team and the Kremlin, despite confirming Russia’s involvement.
Later, a separate probe by Trump-appointed special counsel John Durham also failed to prove any wrongdoing by Obama officials and didn’t lead to charges.
What’s at Stake?
Critics argue Gabbard’s declassification of the old GOP report could harm national security by exposing intelligence sources related to Russia.
In her briefing, Gabbard even mentioned sensitive Russian intel on Clinton’s behavior and health—information that hadn’t been verified. She also criticized the use of the now-debunked “Steele dossier,” included in the 2017 assessment as an annex with a disclaimer that its claims were unconfirmed.
Democrats argue the entire episode is a calculated attempt to shift public focus away from the still-sealed Epstein files, which some Trump allies have been under pressure to release.
In Summary
- Tulsi Gabbard accused Obama of directing a false Russia-Trump intelligence report.
- Democrats say it’s a distraction from growing calls to release the Epstein files.
- A Republican House report criticized one part of the Russia assessment but confirmed much of it.
- A bipartisan Senate investigation strongly supported the original 2017 intelligence conclusions.
- National security experts warn this move could jeopardize intelligence sources.
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