Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has launched a scathing attack on former President Barack Obama, accusing him of an 'absolute failure' to stop intelligence reports that allegedly implicated Donald Trump's 2016 campaign in Russian collusion. Speaking on Fox & Friends on Saturday, Gabbard described the affair as a 'treasonous conspiracy' and accused Obama's White House of pushing a 'hoax'.
Gabbard's comments come a day after she filed a criminal referral against Obama with Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging he 'manufactured and politicized intelligence' to create a narrative linking Trump to Russia. In a post on X, she wrote: 'Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people. No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.'
Obama's office issued a rare statement denying the allegations, calling them 'bizarre' and 'a weak attempt at distraction' from the Jeffrey Epstein files. The statement added that nothing in Gabbard's report undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 election but did not successfully manipulate any votes, a finding affirmed by a 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report.
Gabbard countered that Obama's response deflected from addressing the truth, saying: 'They would have to admit and actually address the details of their complicity in this or their absolute failure in conducting the most basic responsibilities.' Trump has also accused Obama of treason and called on Attorney General Bondi to act on the matter.
