Things Are Heating Up: President Trump Accuses Obama of Treason, Obama Fires Back

Washington, D.C. – July 22, 2025 – President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of treason during an Oval Office press conference with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., alleging Obama led a conspiracy to undermine his 2016 election victory. “This was treason,” Trump said. “Barack Hussein Obama is the ringleader. Hillary Clinton was right there with him and so was Sleepy Joe Biden, and so were the rest of them: [former FBI Director James] Comey, [former Director of National Intelligence James] Clapper, the whole group. They tried to rig the election and they got caught. And then they did rig the election in 2020.”

The accusations follow a July 18 report from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which alleges Obama’s administration manipulated intelligence to falsely implicate Russia in interfering with the 2016 election to favor Clinton. Gabbard’s declassified documents, including internal memos and emails, claim that prior to the November 2016 election, intelligence assessments concluded Russia was “probably not trying … to influence the election by cyber means.” A December 7, 2016, memo prepared for Clapper stated, “Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome.” Gabbard asserts that after a December 9, 2016, meeting with Obama’s national security team, including Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Secretary of State John Kerry, and others, a new intelligence assessment was ordered, leading to a January 6, 2017, report that contradicted earlier findings by alleging Russian interference. Gabbard called this a “treasonous conspiracy” to delegitimize Trump’s victory.

Trump cited Gabbard’s report, stating, “The witch hunt you should be talking about is that they caught President Obama absolutely cold.” He claimed, “What they did to this country in 2016, starting in 2016, but going up all the way to 2020 and the election. They tried to rig the election and they got caught. And there should be very severe consequences for that... This is, like, proof – irrefutable proof – that Obama was seditious, that Obama was trying to lead a coup,” he said.

Obama’s office, through spokesman Patrick Rodenbush, responded, “Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”

Trump called for action against Obama and his former officials, stating, “It’s time to start, after what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people. Obama has been caught directly.” He urged the Justice Department to investigate, contrasting this with his decision not to pursue charges against Clinton for her email scandal. Gabbard has referred documents to the Justice Department for criminal review, but no formal investigation has been announced.