Obama responds powerfully to Trump's Russia hoax prosecution threat
The former president's spokesman then turned to the report of Tulsi Gabbard (pictured), the director of national intelligence, who alleged that the Obama administration 'manufactured and politicized intelligence' against Trump. '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. These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.'
That last lined needled Trump's secretary of state and national security advisor, who was seated next to the president during his extended discourse on Obama and his team. Trump and Obama have a fraught relationship, although they were spotted chatting in what appeared to be amiable fashion at Jimmy Carter's funeral in January. Trump rode 'birther' conspiracies about Obama to influence in his first successful run for president. And Obama's roasting of Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2011 still looms large in Trump's inspiration to finally pursue the White House.
The pushback from Obama's team came after Trump issued an extraordinary call Tuesday to investigate the former president – saying he had been caught 'cold' and accusing his predecessor of 'treason.' Trump issued his stunning series of attacks on the two-term Democratic president shortly after being asked yet another question about Jeffrey Epstein – a matter that is itself so explosive that House Republican leaders sent members home on recess, thereby avoiding a difficult vote on the issue. 'I don't follow it too much,' he said of the Epstein matter. Trump attempted to turn the tables, referring repeatedly to a new report released by his Director of National Intelligence that accused Obama of being behind a 'treasonous conspiracy' to fabricate what Trump repeatedly calls the Russia 'hoax' to bring him down.
Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard made a series of criminal referrals to Pam Bondi's (pictured) Justice Department and the agency is reportedly considering the request. 'After what they did to me, whether it's right or wrong, it's time to go after people,' Trump said while seated next to Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr. in the Oval Office. Trump was asked who the Justice Department should investigate following the report's release for a potential criminal referral. He didn't hesitate to name Obama and top members of his security team. 'It would be President Obama – who started it – and Biden was there with him, and [James] Comey was there, and [James] Clapper, the whole group was there,' Trump responded.
At another point, Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi should 'act' on the matter – while also indicating it was at her discretion. 'We have a very competent, very good, very loyal to our country person in Pam Bondi – very respected. And she – it's going to be her decision,' Trump said. Trump repeated calls to prosecute a wide circle of former Democratic officials come after he posted AI-generated video images of Obama being arrested and thrown in jail wearing an orange jumpsuit. Trump accused his rivals of organizing a failed 'coup' in 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton and captured the White House.
Trump faced four criminal trials during his last campaign, with the January 6 case, his Florida classified documents case, and his New York 'hush money' case all vanishing after he won the election and captured the White House. A New York jury convicted him of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, but it proved to be a rallying cry for his base and part of his campaign message that nefarious forces would do anything to try and halt his comeback. The president fingered Obama for trying to 'head a coup' with acolytes like former FBI Director James Comey and former DNI Director James Clapper doing his dirty work.
Trump also called the Steele report, which examined his campaign's ties to Russia, as 'all lies' and a 'fabrication.' The Mueller Report found that while Russia did interfere in the 2016 election, the Trump campaign did not conspire or coordinate with the Russian government, despite at least 140 contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian nationals. Trump has hammered his rivals for what he calls 'no collusion' ever since, even though Mueller himself never used that term.
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