A newly declassified intelligence report reveals that Russian intelligence allegedly obtained information suggesting that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was taking “heavy tranquilizers” and suffering from serious health issues—details that reportedly alarmed President Barack Obama and senior Democratic leaders.
According to Fox News Digital, the report also challenges the longstanding narrative that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to help Donald Trump win the 2016 presidential election. Instead, it alleges that then-President Obama directed the publication of intelligence assessments that were “implausible,” “potentially biased,” or based on dubious sources—contributing to the now-discredited Trump-Russia collusion claims.
The revelations stem from a report declassified by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and prepared by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in 2020 under then-Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The investigation was originally launched by former Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and remained classified until now.
Fox News obtained the full report—stored in a secure CIA vault—with some redactions. One section states that as of September 2016, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service had obtained DNC data indicating that Democratic leaders, including Obama, viewed Clinton’s health as a serious concern that could damage her presidential campaign. The report claims that this information was tightly guarded, with even top aides allegedly being kept in the dark.
According to the report, Russian intelligence also obtained internal DNC communications claiming Clinton was experiencing “intensified psycho-emotional problems” such as uncontrolled anger and mood swings, and was reportedly on a daily regimen of “heavy tranquilizers.” Additional alleged ailments listed include Type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Perhaps most controversially, the report alleges that Russian intelligence obtained a Clinton campaign email outlining a strategy to tie Trump to Russian hackers to divert attention from the Clinton private email server scandal.
At a White House press briefing, DNI Gabbard criticized the intelligence community, especially former CIA Director John Brennan, for publishing misleading reports that became the foundation for the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) stating Putin preferred Trump. Gabbard accused Brennan of pushing those reports despite warnings from senior CIA officials that the sources were unverified and lacked credibility.
“The Brennan-led ICA ignored reliable intelligence and instead relied on unverified and substandard reporting,” Gabbard said. “The narrative that Putin preferred Trump was never supported by direct evidence.”
The report further reveals that Brennan authorized the publication of 15 post-election intelligence reports—three of which the committee found to be based on questionable information. Despite internal warnings, these were presented as credible in the ICA that informed the public and media narrative on Russian interference.
A longtime Putin confidant told U.S. investigators that Putin expressed indifference toward the election’s outcome and believed both candidates had significant weaknesses. The report adds that Russia may have even been preparing for a Clinton presidency, assuming they could “work with her” based on their past dealings.
The report also revisits a critical moment from July 28, 2016, when Brennan briefed Obama and other top officials, including Vice President Joe Biden and FBI Director James Comey, about a plan allegedly approved by Clinton to link Trump to Russian interference as a political tactic. That briefing was followed by the FBI opening the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation into possible Trump-Russia collusion.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller later found no evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia. A subsequent probe by Special Counsel John Durham concluded that the FBI had ignored early warnings that it may have been manipulated by Clinton’s campaign.
Durham’s report criticized the FBI for failing to properly vet intelligence tied to the Clinton campaign and noted that if the bureau had considered Clinton’s alleged plan earlier, it might have treated the Trump-Russia allegations more skeptically.
Despite the report’s explosive claims, neither Clinton nor Obama have responded. Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush dismissed the allegations as “bizarre and ridiculous,” reiterating that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 election—though they did not affect vote outcomes. That conclusion was also affirmed by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020.
Meanwhile, transcripts declassified in 2020 from House Intelligence Committee hearings revealed that top Obama-era officials—including DNI James Clapper, NSA Susan Rice, and AG Loretta Lynch—testified they saw no empirical evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia, even as the narrative persisted publicly.
The report’s declassification adds new fuel to ongoing debates about intelligence politicization, election interference, and the credibility of U.S. institutions during the 2016 election cycle.
