Former U.S. President Barack Obama has sharply dismissed Donald Trump’s recent accusation that he committed “treason” by attempting to sabotage the 2016 election. In a rare statement, Obama’s spokesman Patrick Rodenbush called the allegations “bizarre,” “ridiculous,” and a “weak attempt at distraction” amid renewed scrutiny of Trump’s past associations, including with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The controversy stems from Trump’s comments during a press briefing at the White House, where he claimed that Obama and his national security team tried to “steal the election” and orchestrated a “years-long coup” to undermine his presidency. Trump cited a newly released report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which included declassified emails suggesting internal discussions about Russia’s attempts to influence the election.
The report, supported by former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, accused Obama’s team of suppressing intelligence that Russian cyber activity did not alter the final vote count. Gabbard alleged the emails revealed a “treasonous conspiracy” and suggested referring Obama-era officials to the Department of Justice for prosecution.
However, critics including Obama’s team dismissed the claims as politically motivated. Rodenbush stated that the documents do not challenge the widely accepted conclusion that while Russia attempted to influence the election, no actual votes were changed.
U.S. intelligence assessments, including a 2017 report and a 2020 bipartisan Senate investigation, concluded that Russia interfered in the election to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign and support Trump’s. These efforts included online disinformation and hacking Democratic Party emails. Yet, there was no evidence the election outcome was altered.
Further complicating the narrative, the Mueller investigation found no criminal conspiracy between Trump’s team and Russia. The later Durham report criticized the FBI’s handling of the probe but stopped short of endorsing Trump’s claims of treason.
Trump’s renewed allegations arrive at a time of political and legal pressure, with calls for transparency over Epstein’s connections and ongoing inquiries into the former president’s conduct.
For now, Obama’s camp is making clear that they view Trump’s explosive rhetoric not as fact but as a deliberate smokescreen to deflect from his own mounting controversies.
