On July 22, 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced the declassification of documents alleging a coordinated effort by the Obama administration to undermine then-President-elect Donald Trump following the 2016 election. The documents, totaling over 1,000 pages, claim that key Obama-era officials, including former President Barack Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and former FBI Director James Comey, were involved in creating a ”top secret” intelligence assessment. This assessment, based partly on the Steele dossier commissioned by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign, suggested Russian interference to favor Trump. Gabbard stated that the files provide ”overwhelming evidence” of a yearslong effort, with the assessment leaked to the media in January 2017 to influence Trump’s presidency. The release follows Trump’s repeated claims, including a July 22 statement where he called Obama ”the leader of the gang” and accused him of treason, citing the dossier’s role in launching the Trump-Russia investigation. Obama’s office issued a rare public response on the same day, calling the allegations ”outrageous” and a ”weak attempt at distraction,” asserting that the 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report, led by Marco Rubio, confirmed Russian influence but no vote manipulation. No formal Justice Department investigation has been announced as of July 24, 2025, though House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed support for subpoenaing Obama. The declassified documents have sparked renewed public and political debate, with no legal outcomes reported yet.
34news.online
34news.online
