Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, is pushing back against claims made by National Intelligence Director Tarshi Gabbard regarding the Obama administration’s alleged role in promoting the narrative of a Trump-Russia conspiracy during the 2016 presidential election.
Gabbard has declassified documents, including a memo aimed at the House Intelligence Committee, asserting that former President Barack Obama and his national security team were aware that their assessment of the intelligence community was incorrect.
“I believe what Gabbard and her team are doing is misleading and untrue. I’ll just leave it at that,” Schiff expressed in a statement to Capitol Hill’s Fox News Digital.
The White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, quickly responded with a statement labeling Schiff as one of the primary proponents of the Russian conspiracy theory, suggesting that he is now trying to cover up as the narrative unravels.
During this controversy, Gabbard remarked that a “deep national actor” didn’t want the Trump-Russia story to be uncovered. Schiff, who was elected to the Senate last year but previously served in the House during the Congressional investigation of the alleged conspiracy, was a vocal critic of Trump during that time.
When Fox News Digital inquired if Obama and his team bear any responsibility for advancing the false narrative aimed at defeating Trump, Schiff pointed to extensive reports by the intelligence community verifying that Russia sought to undermine confidence in U.S. democracy and explicitly favored Trump over Hillary Clinton.
Gabbard’s office, according to a press release, presented evidence claiming that Obama and his intelligence team were instrumental in fabricating a narrative they knew to be false.
Schiff stated that there was certainly proof backing these assertions when asked about the need for an apology from Fox News Digital. As he exited, he nodded in agreement, suggesting he would stand by his earlier remarks.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has initiated an evaluation of the evidence Gabbard published regarding Obama’s role in the development of the conspiracy narrative.
Trump and Schiff have been political adversaries for years. Recently, Trump has commonly referred to Schiff in his campaign, referencing what he terms the “Russia hoax.” In a recent statement, Trump commented that Schiff created fraudulent documents and that his son was wrongly implicated in those matters.
Schiff responded, asserting that he has continuously called for Trump to be held accountable and that political retaliation won’t deter him from pursuing this accountability.
