Gabbard Claims Intelligence Community Policed Evidence Against Trump
Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard has accused officials from the Obama administration of politicizing intelligence. She reiterated her belief that they had laid the groundwork for what she described as a “long-standing coup” against Donald Trump, especially after his 2016 election victory.
Speaking on Wednesday, Gabbard pointed to a “deep state obstacle” hindering the release of information regarding the investigation into Russian interference. She indicated that some individuals within the intelligence community seem reluctant to allow the truth to come out. “There are still many entrenched actors in Washington. President Trump seeks the truth, and so do I. Americans have a right to know the truth, and they deserve accountability,” she stated.
She emphasized the need for transparency regarding all intelligence and evidence collected, suggesting that a clear path must be determined to hold parties accountable.
The top U.S. intelligence official recently became involved in a dispute connected to former President Obama, specifically mentioning then-CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Gabbard accused them, along with other national security advisors, of crafting a narrative about Russian meddling in the 2016 elections that ultimately undermined Trump’s presidency.
In light of this, Gabbard has released over 100 declassified documents that provide insights into assessments made by the intelligence community before and after the 2016 elections concerning potential Russian influences.
She mentioned that in the months leading up to the election, there was a general consensus within the intelligence community that Russia did not have the intent or capability to hack U.S. elections. This observation, she argued, contradicts later narratives that suggested otherwise.
Gabbard claimed that a former Democrat indicated Obama had directed the intelligence community to create a new narrative regarding Russian interference, despite existing conflicting evaluations.
An Obama spokesperson responded to Gabbard’s allegations, characterizing them as “outrageous” and attempting to deflect criticism. They reiterated that the documents released do not change the widely accepted conclusion that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election but did not manipulate the actual voting process. This conclusion was also corroborated by a 2020 report from the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee.
Ned Price, a former official from Obama’s National Security Council, pushed back against Gabbard’s claims, pointing out that she conflated the terms “hack” and “influence.” He cited the Senate Intelligence Committee’s 2020 report, which clarified that Russia did not hack into election infrastructure. Nonetheless, the committee found evidence suggesting that Russia attempted to undermine confidence in the democratic process.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized in a 2020 statement that the committee uncovered no evidence of any conspiracy between Trump and the Russian government.
Gabbard, in turn, mentioned that she would persist in her efforts to ensure accountability, stating that she had referred criminal concerns to the Department of Justice regarding the released documents.
In a related statement, Trump accused Obama of “treason” following Gabbard’s assertions, sharing a video on his social media that seemingly depicted Obama’s arrest.
