Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is demanding criminal prosecution of former President Barack Obama and his top administration officials, alleging they ran a “treasonous conspiracy” to sabotage Donald Trump’s presidency by fabricating intelligence about Russian interference for the purpose of sabotaging a presidency, defying the will of the American people, and undermining a duly elected president.
“The information we are releasing today clearly shows there was a treasonous conspiracy in 2016 committed by officials at the highest level of our government,” Gabbard said. “Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup.”
The Seditious Conspiracy
Gabbard’s statement came alongside the release of more than 100 documents from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). According to the material, prior to the 2016 election, the Intelligence Community assessed that Russia lacked both the capability and intent to alter the outcome of the race.
One internal memo prepared for then-DNI James Clapper on December 7, 2016, stated clearly: “Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome.”
On December 9, 2016, President Obama convened a National Security Council meeting with officials including Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, NSA Director Mike Rogers, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and National Security Advisor Susan Rice. Gabbard says that meeting initiated a political effort to rewrite intelligence assessments.
According to documents, following the meeting, Clapper’s office directed agencies to create a new intelligence report “per the President’s request” that would detail “the tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.” That directive contradicted prior months of IC assessments.
Gabbard accused Obama and his team of engineering a narrative shift based on information known to be either fabricated or unreliable — including the discredited Steele Dossier.
“President Obama and his team — he directed a manufactured piece of intelligence that detail not if but how Russia tried to influence the outcome of the United States election that Trump won in November of 2016,” Gabbard said Saturday on Fox & Friends Weekend.
“This politicized intelligence was used as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump’s victory,” she continued, citing the Mueller investigation, two impeachments, and what she called “years of chaos.”
Criminal Referral to DOJ
Gabbard said she has referred all documents to the Department of Justice for criminal review.
“No one, no matter how high up they are or how powerful they may be... no matter the intelligence officials or professionals who were a part of this treasonous conspiracy — there must be accountability,” she said. “The American people not only deserve the truth and accountability… this is literally what is at stake here.”
Pressed on whether Obama himself could face prosecution, Gabbard left the door open.
“We are referring all of our documents to the Department of Justice for the purpose of accountability and action,” she said. “When we look at the future of our country as a democratic republic… this is what is at stake.”
Gabbard also emphasized that accountability is not a partisan issue.
“Their egregious abuse of power and blatant rejection of our Constitution threatens the very foundation and integrity of our democratic republic,” she said. “The American people’s faith and trust in our democratic republic — and therefore the future of our nation — depends on it.”
Comparisons to Iraq War Deception
Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran, compared the intelligence manipulation she alleges to the false claims used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
“What these documents detail, to me, in my view, cannot be explained as anything but a treasonous conspiracy,” she said. “This is not so different from what we saw under George W. Bush, when we saw that manufactured intelligence claiming there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, now tasked with reviewing Gabbard’s documents, has drawn criticism and skepticism from Trump allies in recent months for claiming to have an Epstein-related client list “on her desk” without producing it publicly.
Whether Bondi acts on Gabbard’s criminal referral could have serious consequences — not only for the accused, but for how Americans view the legitimacy of intelligence agencies and past administrations.
Gabbard: “This Was a Coup”
On social media, Gabbard has been unequivocal.
“Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people,” she wrote on X. “We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral.”
She specifically named Brennan, Clapper, Comey, and Rice as key players.
“The list goes on and on about the consequences of President Obama and his senior cabinet members politicizing intelligence... to enact what was essentially a years-long coup,” she said.
The full trove of documents and ODNI memo can be viewed at DNI.gov.
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