By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter |Thursday, July 24, 2025
Read more at https://www.christianpost.com/news/5-key-takeaways-from-latest-russiagate-revelations-treason.html
This week’s news cycle erupted after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently declassified documents that allegedly show former President Barack Obama and members of his administration laid the groundwork for the years-long “Russiagate” investigation that snarled much of President Donald Trump’s first term. Trump has since accused his predecessor of treason for attempting to subvert his electoral victory in the 2016 presidential election by undermining his administration with a political hoax suggesting Russia collusion.
Gabbard has stopped short of overtly accusing Obama of treason but noted Wednesday that she has referred evidence to the U.S. Department of Justice that could lead to his criminal prosecution.
Here are five key takeaways from the developing story.
1. ‘Years-long coup’
On July 18, Gabbard declassified more than 100 documents, including memos and emails, that she claimed provided “overwhelming evidence” that the Obama administration conspired to manufacture and politically weaponize false intelligence.
In a lengthy X thread, Gabbard alleged that after Trump’s 2016 victory, Obama and his national security team — including officials such as James Clapper, John Brennan and James Comey — were involved in producing the intelligence claiming Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor Trump, which was then leaked to the media to undermine his presidency.
“Americans will finally learn the truth about how in 2016, intelligence was politicized and weaponized by the most powerful people in the Obama administration to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President [Trump], subverting the will of the American people and undermining our democratic republic,” Gabbard wrote.
Gabbard claimed that despite assessments from the intelligence community that Russia was not trying to steal the election, Obama personally directed the creation of a new assessment to push a false narrative.
During an appearance in the White House press briefing room Wednesday afternoon, Gabbard reiterated her assertions but declined to accuse the former president of treason, a potentially capital crime.
“I’m leaving the criminal charges to the Department of Justice,” Gabbard said, adding, “The expressed intent and what followed afterward can only be described as a years-long coup and a treasonous conspiracy against the American people, our republic and an attempt to undermine President Trump’s administration.”
Gabbard issued another X thread Wednesday.
2. John Brennan reportedly overrules senior intelligence officials: ‘Very politicized inquiry’
Former CIA Director John Brennan overruled senior intelligence officials who raised concerns regarding the key claim in the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that Russia intervened in the 2016 presidential election to help Trump, according to documents reviewed by reporter Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist.
Intelligence experts within the CIA, FBI and Office of the Director of National Intelligence expressed concerns during the drafting of the ICA, noting there was no direct intelligence to substantiate its claim. Despite objections, Brennan reportedly dismissed such concerns during a heated meeting on Dec. 30, 2016.
A subsequent CIA review criticized the ICA’s rushed timeline, limited access to underlying intelligence and the inflated confidence level assigned to it despite reservations from top officials.
The records also indicated Brennan selectively shared the intelligence with Congress, which prompted skepticism from then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who came to believe it was politically motivated and an attempt to undermine Trump.
3. Trump accuses Obama of treason: ‘They did things that nobody’s ever even imagined’
During a press gaggle in the Oval Office on Tuesday with the Philippine president, Trump escalated his rhetoric by accusing Obama of treason, which prompted a rare statement from Obama’s spokesperson.
Trump accused Obama of being the “ringleader” in the attempt to subvert the 2016 presidential election with weaponized, manufactured intelligence, but said he has been “shielded by the press for his entire life.”
“It was President Obama,” Trump said regarding Russiagate. “It wasn’t lots of people all over the place — it was them, too — but the leader of the gang was President Obama, Barack Hussein Obama. Have you heard of him?”
“Look, he’s guilty. It’s not a question. … It’s there. He’s guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of.”
“They tried to steal the election; they tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever even imagined, even in other countries,” Trump said.
Trump added that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also played a major role, and that Gabbard has “thousands of additional documents coming,” which he suggested will further incriminate the Obama administration.
“So, President Obama, it was his concept — his idea,” Trump said. “But he also got it from crooked Hillary Clinton — crooked as a $3 bill, and Hillary Clinton and her group, the Democrats, spent $12 million to Christopher Steele to write up a report that was a total fake report.”
4. Obama spokesperson pushes back: ‘Weak attempt at distraction’
Obama’s spokesman Patrick Rodenbush issued an unusual scathing statement in the wake of Trump’s claims, which he dismissed as “bizarre” and “ridiculous” without denying them.
“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” Rodenbush said. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.”
“These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” Obama’s spokesman continued. “Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.”
“These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio,” he added.
5. House Speaker Mike Johnson floats potential Obama subpoena: ‘Sinister plot’
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., maintained that the Obama administration has done immense damage to the public trust by participating in what he described as “a sinister plot.”
Speaking to CBN reporter David Brody in an interview published Monday, Johnson also suggested congressional subpoenas for the former president and members of his administration may be incoming.
“I think we have a responsibility to follow the truth, where it leads,” Johnson said. “To do effectively the opposite of what that other team did — they were engaged in a partisan political plot to take down their foe in the other party. We need to be about the rule of law and bring an order to the chaos and searching out the truth because the American people are owed those answers.”
Johnson expressed no sympathy for Obama potentially being dragged into a criminal investigation.
“If it’s uncomfortable for him, he shouldn’t have been involved in overseeing this, which is what it appears to us has happened,” he said.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
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