President Trump leveled severe charges on July 22, accusing former President Obama of treason and masterminding efforts to suppress the 2016 election. Trump described the purported plot as the “biggest scandal in the history of our country,” citing documents released by ex-DNI Tulsi Gabbard. The drama places Obama at the center of what Trump deems a “coup,” and demands “very severe consequences” for all involved.
President Trump addressed reporters during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office. He claimed the Obama administration coordinated with Hillary Clinton and others to craft and deploy the Steele dossier, labeled by Trump a “total fake report” funded by Democrats, as a weapon to interfere in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Trump insisted that Obama personally ordered the alleged operation, calling it treasonous and groundless.
Trump reiterated that thousands of documents, soon to be released under Gabbard’s direction, offer “irrefutable proof” of Obama’s leadership in the scheme. He predicted the case will ultimately reach the Justice Department, where he expects individuals involved to face the music.
Trump shared with reporters: “What they did to this country in 2016, starting in 2016, but going up all the way, going up to 2020 and the election, they tried to rig the election and they got caught… And there should be very severe consequences for that.
“You know, when we caught Hillary Clinton, I said, you know what? Let’s not go too far here. It’s the ex-wife of a president. And I thought it was sort of terrible. And I let her off the hook, and I’m very happy I did.”
A statement from Obama’s office, relayed by Reuters, pushed back: while acknowledging Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election, they maintained there was no evidence of vote manipulation or that the newly released documents changed this understanding.
Trump declared the alleged plot extends beyond Obama, implicating Hillary Clinton, intelligence officials, and the media in spreading a baseless narrative. He accused the press of initial restraint, noting, “they refused to write it before the election.”
These allegations follow Trump’s DOJ-backed inquiries into the origins of the Russia probe, including efforts by William Barr and John Durham, which Trump claims validate his views.
“it’s time to start, after what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people,” Trump said to the reporters.
“Obama’s been caught directly. So people say, ‘Oh, you know, a group.’ It’s not a group, it’s Obama. His orders are on the paper. The papers are signed. The papers came right out of their office. They sent everything to be highly classified.
“Well, the highly classified has been released. And what they did in 2016 and in 2020 is very criminal. It’s criminal at the highest level. So that’s really the things you should be talking about,” he went on to add.
