Obama Denounces Treason Claims Amid Trump Accusations

In 2025, President Donald Trump publicly accused former President Barack Obama of treason, alleging that Obama led a conspiracy to undermine Trump's 2016 election victory by fabricating intelligence about Russian interference. These claims were supported by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who declassified documents suggesting a deliberate effort by Obama and his national security team to delegitimize Trump. Trump further escalated the rhetoric by calling for Obama's indictment and releasing imagery depicting prominent Democrats behind bars. However, Obama's office strongly refuted the accusations as "bizarre," "ridiculous," and politically motivated distractions. Experts and former intelligence officials, including a former CIA counter-intelligence head, criticized Gabbard's allegations as based on misinformation and misunderstanding of espionage practices, reaffirming that Russia did attempt to influence the election but did not manipulate votes. The Justice Department has formed a task force to investigate Gabbard's referrals, while bipartisan analysts largely dismiss the treason claims as lacking credible evidence.