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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a trove of reportedly once-classified documents, promising even more to come.
These newly revealed materials outline the involvement of top intelligence and law enforcement officials from the Obama administration — and allegedly former President Barack Obama himself — in efforts to undermine Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The interference reportedly continued through the 2016–2017 presidential transition and into the first three years of Trump’s presidency.
While the documents provide new details, they largely support what has become accepted over the past decade. Investigations by congressional committees, special prosecutors, and inspectors general had already confirmed the general framework of the political machinations that began in 2015 and 2016.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign, later supported by senior officials at the FBI, CIA, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, allegedly promoted a false narrative that Trump had colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election.
When this narrative failed to change the election outcome, the Obama administration reportedly intensified efforts during the transition period to delegitimize the incoming Trump presidency.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, despite assembling a high-profile legal team, found no evidence of direct Trump-Russia collusion. Still, the probe consumed 22 months of Trump’s first term, fueled by leaks and speculation that Trump would be removed from office as a “Russian asset.”
By 2020, intelligence agencies and former officials claimed that Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the earmarks” of Russian interference — another assertion that proved false.
So, what new revelations have come from Gabbard’s release?
First, after Trump’s 2016 victory but before his inauguration, Obama reportedly held a meeting with key intelligence and law enforcement heads — including CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, and National Security Advisor Susan Rice.
Despite years of claims that “18 intelligence agencies” had confirmed Russian collusion, these top officials allegedly informed Obama that no such evidence existed. Yet, Obama reportedly instructed them to dismiss that conclusion and proceed with pushing the collusion narrative.
What followed were strategic leaks, media frenzy, and eventually Mueller’s investigation, led by a team of partisan lawyers.
Additional information may show that Brennan’s CIA, and those briefed in the Oval Office, were aware that even Russian operatives were confused about why they were being accused of colluding with Trump. While Russian and Chinese actors commonly disrupt U.S. institutions through cyberattacks and disinformation, reports suggest they were puzzled by Hillary Clinton’s accusations and the Obama administration’s response.
Obama has since dismissed these new allegations as outrageous and beneath the office of the presidency. However, he has not directly denied the claim that he instructed his intelligence officials to ignore internal assessments in December 2016 and to act as if Trump had colluded with Russia.
The combined actions of the Clinton campaign, Obama-era appointees, intelligence officials, and sympathetic media from 2015 to 2020 inflicted significant harm:
- They disrupted the Trump campaign in 2016.
- They obstructed the presidential transition in 2017.
- They weakened Trump’s administration throughout his term.
- They potentially damaged his 2020 reelection chances.
The consequences of the collusion narrative include:
- Experts in 2020 again misled the public, falsely claiming that Hunter Biden’s verified laptop was Russian disinformation aimed at aiding Trump.
- Media outlets amplified disinformation by working with Obama officials, promoting materials like the Steele dossier, and collaborating with platforms like Twitter and Facebook to suppress verified stories about the laptop.
- These actions may have harmed U.S. foreign policy. By falsely linking Trump to Russia, Obama-era officials compromised Trump’s ability to manage relations with a nuclear-armed adversary. At the same time, U.S. agencies’ deceptive behavior only reinforced Russia’s distrust of the American government.
Obama, Brennan, Clapper, Comey, and others are unlikely to face legal consequences for their roles. But that should not preclude a continued and impartial effort to fully uncover and expose the truth.
