In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump stated that the Department of Justice (DOJ) should focus its investigations directly on former President Barack Obama. This declaration follows a recent report that alleges officials from the Obama administration manipulated intelligence concerning Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump’s comments were made during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office.
The report, released on Friday, has prompted Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard to send criminal referrals to the DOJ, asserting that the actions of Obama’s team constituted a “treasonous conspiracy.” When asked who should be targeted by the DOJ, Trump pointedly named Obama, claiming, “Based on what I read, it would be President Obama. He started it.” He went on to implicate several key figures from the Obama administration, including then-Vice President Joe Biden, former FBI Director James Comey, former DNI Director James Clapper, and former CIA Director John Brennan.
Trump emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, stating, “If you look at those papers, they have him stone-cold; it was President Obama.” He referred to Obama as the “ringleader” of what he described as a coordinated effort involving several top officials. He reiterated his belief that the actions taken during and after the 2016 election were criminal, stating, “This was treason, this was every word you can think of.”
During the Oval Office meeting, Trump mentioned that Gabbard indicated there would be thousands of additional documents released, further supporting the claims against the Obama administration. The memo released on Friday also referenced other former officials, including Clapper, Brennan, and Comey, all of whom have been long criticized by Trump as part of a “hoax” investigation into Russian interference.
In a related development, Trump issued a memo in March mandating the declassification of all documents associated with “Crossfire Hurricane,” the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. This action has been viewed as an attempt to shed light on the allegations against Obama and his administration.
During the same press event, Trump was questioned regarding Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and his outreach to lawyers representing convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, who is associated with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump claimed he was unaware of the details but reiterated the importance of Gabbard’s report, stating, “The witch hunt that you should be talking about if they caught President Obama absolutely cold.”
Trump expressed his belief that those involved in manipulating the 2016 election should face severe consequences, stating, “What they did to this country in 2016, starting in 2016 but going all the way to 2020, they tried to rig the election and they got caught.” He contrasted this with his earlier decision not to pursue charges against former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, saying he let her “off the hook” because of her relationship with a former president.
In conclusion, Trump’s remarks signal a renewed focus on the Obama administration’s actions during the 2016 election and suggest a push for accountability among former high-ranking officials. The implications of these allegations could have significant repercussions as investigations continue in the coming months.
