Obama Refutes Trump’s ‘Bizarre’ Claims of 2016 Election Hoax

Former President Barack Obama is pushing back against what his office calls “bizarre allegations” that he and his administration manipulated intelligence to paint a narrative of Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election. The statement comes amid growing pressure from President Donald Trump and top intelligence officials who claim that Obama-era leaders attempted to sabotage Trump’s first campaign.

The controversy reignited after the Department of Justice reportedly confirmed it received a criminal referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The referral challenges the integrity of the intelligence assessment released in early 2017, which asserted that Russia sought to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign and boost Trump.

“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. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said.

Trump and his allies are not backing down.

• Trump has named Obama as the “ringleader” of what he calls an attempt to rig the election.

• He has also accused Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, former FBI Director James Comey, and former DNI James Clapper of being part of the scheme.

• Trump warned that there should be “severe consequences” for those who “tried to rig an election and got caught.”

Obama’s office insists that nothing in the document Gabbard referenced undermines the 2017 intelligence findings, which claimed Russia attempted to influence voters though it did not alter vote counts. Rodenbush pointed to a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2020, led by then-Senator Marco Rubio, which backed these conclusions.

Former CIA Director John Brennan, who is also accused of manipulating intelligence, dismissed the allegations from Gabbard and current CIA Director John Ratcliffe. “The specious allegations that both she and Ratcliffe are making, based on the things that they’re putting out, really are quite concerning and quite dangerous,” Brennan told MSNBC.

While Democrats and establishment figures continue to defend the 2017 narrative, Trump’s push to expose what he describes as a coordinated effort against his campaign is resonating with his supporters. Many conservatives argue that the so-called “Russia hoax” was one of the greatest political scandals in modern history, weaponizing intelligence agencies to undermine a duly elected president.

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