WASHINGTON, D.C.: In a rare public statement, former President Barack Obama’s office dismissed former President Donald Trump’s accusations of “treason” and election manipulation during the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections, calling them absurd and politically motivated.
“Out of respect for the presidency, our office typically refrains from addressing the steady stream of misinformation coming from this White House. However, these allegations are so outrageous they warrant a response,” Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement to NBC News. “These bizarre claims are not only false but clearly a weak attempt at distraction.”
The rebuttal came after Trump, when questioned about his ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, pivoted to accusing Obama of “criminality,” alleging wrongdoing at the highest levels of government during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles.
Trump’s comments were reportedly influenced by claims from National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who alleged intelligence manipulation under the Obama administration. Gabbard also made a formal criminal referral to the Justice Department, asserting that intelligence findings were altered to discredit Trump’s electoral success.
At a closed-door meeting with congressional Republicans, Trump escalated his rhetoric, branding Obama and other officials as “vicious, horrible people.”
Rodenbush strongly refuted the claims, pointing out that newly released intelligence documents do not contradict the long-standing bipartisan conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, though it did not alter vote counts. “Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election. These findings were affirmed by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020 under Chairman Marco Rubio,” he added.
The controversy now centers around differing interpretations of a December 8, 2016, intelligence assessment. Gabbard contends that an internal analysis stating Russia did not impact election results was withdrawn before being shared with President Obama—suggesting political interference. “This key intelligence assessment was never published,” Gabbard wrote in a social media post.
However, Obama’s stance at the time remains clear. Days after the December 2016 briefing, he publicly stated there was no evidence of vote tampering. “I can assure the public that the votes were cast and counted properly,” Obama said from the White House.
The Obama administration consistently maintained that Russian efforts focused on influencing public opinion—primarily through hacked document leaks and coordinated online disinformation—rather than changing vote tallies. These conclusions were echoed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and a comprehensive Senate Intelligence Committee report.
Democratic leaders have described Trump’s renewed focus on these claims as a strategic smokescreen. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar suggested the narrative is designed to divert attention from questions about Epstein and other politically sensitive matters.
In recent days, Trump has also used his social media accounts to attack political opponents and revive past controversies, including the FBI’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s email investigation and the release of documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
