President Donald Trump said Friday that former President Barack Obama “owes me big” after a recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, arguing that the ruling will likely protect Obama from potential legal consequences tied to the Trump-Russia investigation.
Trump’s comments come days after he accused Obama of being the “ringleader” behind the now-debunked narrative of Trump colluding with Russia during the 2016 election. A newly declassified House Intelligence Committee report and a fresh statement from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard allege that members of the Obama administration manipulated intelligence to fuel the collusion narrative — claims Obama has strongly denied.
“It probably helps him a lot,” Trump said of the Supreme Court’s ruling. “He’s done criminal acts — there’s no question about it — but he has immunity. He owes me big. Obama owes me big.”
Newly Declassified Findings Raise Fresh Questions
Earlier this week, Fox News obtained excerpts from a report declassified by DNI Tulsi Gabbard, originally prepared by the House Intelligence Committee in 2020 under then-Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif. The findings focus on how the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) of 2017 — which concluded Russia wanted to help Trump win — came to be.
The report claims the assessment was driven by “unusual” orders from Obama and senior political appointees and was rushed through by just five CIA analysts under then-CIA Director John Brennan. It also alleges that the now-discredited Steele dossier was pushed for inclusion in the report despite being based largely on “internet rumor.”
“The production of the ICA was not properly vetted or coordinated,” the report says, arguing it was “rushed” to be published just two weeks before Trump’s inauguration.
Obama Fires Back: Allegations Are ‘Bizarre and Ridiculous’
In a rare statement Tuesday, Obama’s spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush pushed back hard on Trump’s accusations.
“These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” Rodenbush said. “Nothing in the document undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 election — though it did not manipulate votes.”
Rodenbush added, “Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office typically ignores this kind of misinformation. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit a response.”
Gabbard: ‘Deep State’ Tried to Bury the Truth
DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who authorized the release of the intelligence report, told Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime on Wednesday that entrenched forces in Washington tried to block the declassification effort.
“There are a lot of deep state actors still here within Washington,” Gabbard said. “Some people within the IC didn’t want this to see the light of day.”
She added, “President Trump wants the truth. I want the truth. The American people deserve the truth — and they deserve accountability.”
The fallout from the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling — and the growing push to investigate the origins of Russiagate — is expected to remain a major political flashpoint heading into the fall.
