Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, July 22, demanded that the Justice Department prosecute Barack Obama, calling the former president “guilty” and accusing him of leading a coordinated effort to manipulate intelligence during the 2016 election.
Trump’s remarks come in response to a recent report from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which alleges that senior Obama-era officials deliberately distorted intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 race. Gabbard has since submitted criminal referrals to the DOJ for further action.
Speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Trump was asked who he believes the Justice Department should pursue next.
“Based on everything I’ve read, it should be President Obama. He started it,” Trump said. “Biden was there. Comey was there. Clapper, Brennan — they were all in the room, right here. This room.”
He continued: “If you look at the documents, they have him stone-cold. It wasn’t a bunch of scattered people — it was a tight group. But the ringleader was Barack Hussein Obama. Have you heard of him?”
Trump didn’t hold back, declaring, “He’s guilty — it’s not a question. This was treason. Every word you can think of applies.”
‘Time to Go After People,’ Trump Says
Trump also revealed that Gabbard informed him of thousands of additional documents related to the alleged cover-up. He again referred to Obama as the “ringleader” and pointed to his own 2020 order to declassify all documents tied to the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation into Russian election interference.
Later in the conversation, Trump was asked about reports that the Justice Department is in contact with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate. Trump declined to comment on that matter, instead redirecting attention to Gabbard’s findings.
“The real witch hunt is what they did in 2016, and it continued right up to 2020. They tried to rig the election, and they got caught,” Trump said. “There should be serious consequences.”
He also revisited past claims about Hillary Clinton, stating he had “caught” her but chose not to pursue prosecution because she was the wife of a former president.
“But it’s time to go after people,” Trump concluded. “Obama’s been caught directly. What they did was criminal — at the highest level. That’s the real story.”
