Trump accuses Obama of 'treason', without providing evidence
Trump cited his intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, who on Friday declassified documents that allegedly showed how the Obama administration laid the groundwork for an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
What did Trump say about Obama?
'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 allegations
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.'
Did Russia interfere with election?
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.
DW
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