Washington, D.C. – July 22, 2025 – Former President Barack Obama has publicly denounced accusations from President Donald Trump, who called for his prosecution over alleged attempts to orchestrate a “coup” following the 2016 presidential election. In a rare statement, Obama’s office labeled the claims “outrageous” and a “weak attempt at distraction,” breaking its usual practice of not responding to what it described as “constant nonsense and misinformation” from the current White House.
The controversy stems from Trump’s assertions that Obama, along with former senior officials, fabricated evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election to undermine his victory over Hillary Clinton. Speaking to reporters during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Trump accused Obama of “treason” and leading a “sedatious” conspiracy, citing an 11-page document released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The report alleges a “treasonous conspiracy” by Obama’s administration to manipulate intelligence assessments. Trump claimed the document provided “irrefutable proof” and named Obama as the “leader of the gang,” alongside former FBI Director James Comey and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
Obama’s spokesperson, Patrick Rodenbush, issued a sharp rebuttal, stating, “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.” The statement emphasized that nothing in Gabbard’s document undermines the widely accepted conclusion, affirmed by a 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio, that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election without manipulating votes. The intelligence community’s 2017 assessment, further supported by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, found that Russia hacked Democratic National Committee documents to damage Clinton’s campaign, though it did not alter vote tallies.
Critics, including former CIA analyst Fulton Armstrong, have dismissed Gabbard’s report as “amateurish” and “sloppy,” accusing it of misrepresenting issues to discredit established findings. Armstrong noted that the report’s reference to “deep state officials” and its conflation of confidence and probability in intelligence assessments undermine its credibility.
Trump’s accusations coincide with efforts to shift focus from mounting pressure within his base to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The Justice Department recently backtracked on promises to disclose Epstein-related documents, prompting backlash from some MAGA supporters. Trump has also shared an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting Obama’s arrest, further escalating tensions.
Obama’s response marks a rare departure from his typically reserved post-presidency stance, underscoring the gravity of the accusations. Democrats, including House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, have called Trump’s claims a distraction from the Epstein controversy. “They’ll release anything if it buys them another day or two to not talk about Epstein,” Aguilar told NBC News.
The White House, through spokesperson Davis Ingle, expressed appreciation for Gabbard’s “commitment to transparency” but did not directly address Obama’s statement. As political divisions deepen, the feud reignites debates over the 2016 election and the role of misinformation in shaping public discourse.
