Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
What happened
Former President Barack Obama's office issued a rare rebuke to President Donald Trump Tuesday, refuting the latter's claim that Obama tried to "lead a coup" after the 2016 election. Trump's accusation follows papers released by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard alleging Obama officials "manipulated and politicized intelligence" to bolster Russian election interference narratives and undermine Trump's 2016 win.
Who said what
"This was treason," Trump said of the Obama administration's actions. He urged the Department of Justice to "go after people." These allegations are "bizarre" and "outrageous," Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement. The documents Gabbard released do not undercut the "widely accepted conclusion" that Russia tried to influence the 2016 presidential election but didn't manage to manipulate votes. Trump is simply making a "weak attempt at distraction." Democratic Senator Mark Warner (D-Va), the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that "if there had been some Obama conspiracy, we would have found it."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump has historically been good at "constantly changing narratives," but the Epstein drama is "different" because he's "in a fight with his base," Republican strategist Alex Conant told The Washington Post. Trump's latest comments represent a "growing willingness to sic law enforcement agencies" on "his political enemies," said Politico.
What next?
Trump indicated the decision over whether to investigate Obama was in the hands of Attorney General Pam Bondi. The House begins a five-week summer recess today, one day early, to "avoid a political fight" over the Epstein files, Reuters said.
-
‘Let 2026 be a year of reckoning’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Why is Iran facing its biggest protests in years?TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Iranians are taking to the streets as a growing movement of civic unrest threatens a fragile stability
-
How prediction markets have spread to politicsThe explainer Everything’s a gamble
-
‘Let 2026 be a year of reckoning’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Jack Smith: Trump ‘caused’ Jan. 6 riotSpeed Read
-
Wave of cancellations prompts Kennedy Center turmoilIN THE SPOTLIGHT Accusations and allegations fly as artists begin backing off their regularly scheduled appearances
-
Trump considers giving Ukraine a security guaranteeTalking Points Zelenskyy says it is a requirement for peace. Will Putin go along?
-
Why is Trump’s alleged strike on Venezuela shrouded in so much secrecy?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Trump’s comments have raised more questions than answers about what his administration is doing in the Southern Hemisphere
-
Vance’s ‘next move will reveal whether the conservative movement can move past Trump’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
What have Trump’s Mar-a-Lago summits achieved?Today’s big question Zelenskyy and Netanyahu meet the president in his Palm Beach ‘Winter White House’
-
Biggest political break-ups and make-ups of 2025The Explainer From Trump and Musk to the UK and the EU, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a round-up of the year’s relationship drama
