Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s office reacted sharply on Wednesday to Donald Trump’s allegations of ‘treason’ regarding purported manipulation of intelligence related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“Ridiculous” and a “Weak Attempt at Distraction”
In a statement released by Obama’s team, Trump’s remarks were described as “ridiculous” and a “weak attempt at distraction.” This strong rebuke came after Trump deflected questions about the Justice Department’s decision to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend.
“Our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” said Patrick Rodenbush, an Obama spokesman. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”
Trump’s Serious Allegations
Donald Trump accused Obama of trying to undermine his 2016 presidential campaign and attempting to “steal” the election he won against Hillary Clinton. “It’s there, he’s guilty. This was treason,” Trump stated on Tuesday. He elaborated, “They tried to steal the election, they tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever imagined, even in other countries.”
These comments followed an intelligence assessment of Russian interference, which revealed that Russia had employed social media disinformation, hacking, and bot farms to undermine Clinton’s campaign and bolster Trump’s candidacy.
Administration Reaction and Threats
Adding to the controversy, Trump’s intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, recently threatened to refer some Obama administration officials for prosecution, alleging a “treasonous conspiracy” to sabotage Trump in 2016.
“The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold,” Trump claimed. He further accused Obama of attempting to “lead a coup” and called for action against him and his former officials.
“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,” Trump declared.
