DNI Tulsi Gabbard Announces DOJ Probe into Obama’s Role in 2016 Election Interference

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced Wednesday that the Department of Justice will investigate former President Barack Obama for his alleged involvement in a scheme to undermine President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory. During a White House press briefing, Gabbard revealed that her office has declassified nearly 200 pages of documents, which she claims provide evidence of a coordinated effort by Obama and senior officials to fabricate intelligence suggesting Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Gabbard stated that the documents point directly to Obama’s leadership in creating a false narrative to delegitimize Trump’s presidency. “The evidence we have released clearly shows President Obama directed an intelligence assessment to further a contrived narrative,” she said, emphasizing that the intent was to subvert the will of American voters. She stopped short of labeling the actions as treason, leaving criminal charges to the DOJ.

The declassified materials, released on July 18 and 23, include pre-election intelligence assessments indicating Russia was “probably not” attempting to influence the election through cyberattacks. A December 7, 2016, brief for then-DNI James Clapper noted that foreign adversaries did not alter the election outcome via cyberattacks on infrastructure. Gabbard argues these findings contradict the Obama administration’s post-election claims, which fueled the Trump-Russia collusion probe.

Gabbard refuted denials from Obama’s camp, asserting that the newly released documents directly counter their statements. She urged the public and media to review the evidence, which includes comments from current intelligence professionals supporting her conclusions. The documents also reference a December 9, 2016, meeting involving Obama’s top national security officials, including Clapper, John Brennan, Susan Rice, and others, to discuss Russia’s role.

The DNI’s actions follow President Trump’s March 2025 directive to declassify all records related to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Gabbard emphasized that her findings aim to restore trust in the democratic process, stating, “This concerns every American, regardless of party.” She has referred the documents to the DOJ and FBI for further investigation into potential criminal implications.