Gabbard claims docs reveal shocking betrayal of the nation. BBC
Tulsi Gabbard, now Director of National Intelligence, revealed a previously secret government report on Wednesday. She said the report shows a “treasonous conspiracy” during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. According to her, some officials tried to damage Donald Trump’s campaign with false claims about Russian interference.
Gabbard appeared at the White House with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to discuss the report. She said it proves some government agencies misused intelligence to create a false story that Russia helped Trump win the 2016 election.
The Report's Findings
The document, dated September 18, 2020, was written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee. It questions a CIA finding that Russian President Vladimir Putin supported Trump in 2016. Gabbard said the CIA based its conclusion on weak and unclear evidence.
She explained, “They built a case on one vague and unverified sentence. That’s not how intelligence should work.” Gabbard added that the report shows former President Barack Obama and others pushed this story despite knowing it was untrue.
Trump’s Claims and Response
A day before the report was declassified, Trump accused Obama of leading a plan to link him falsely with Russia. He called it a serious crime and labeled it “treason.” On Tuesday, Trump said, “They caught President Obama absolutely cold… This was treason.”
Obama’s spokesperson dismissed the comments. “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous,” he said. “They are just a distraction.”
Democrats Fire Back
Democrats pushed back hard. Many said the Trump team is using the report to shift focus from other serious matters. In particular, they accused Trump of trying to avoid questions about files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Senator Mark Warner said, “The administration seems happy to declassify anything—except the Epstein records.” Another senator, Mark Kelly from Arizona, added, “They want to feed this conspiracy and run from Epstein.”
Gabbard Stands Firm
Despite criticism, Gabbard is standing by her claims. She said she already filed a criminal referral with the Justice Department. She accuses Obama and others of planning a long-term effort to mislead Americans.
She believes the intelligence agencies acted politically. “This wasn’t a mistake,” she said. “They knowingly misled the country.”
What Past Reports Say
Other government investigations have concluded Russia tried to sway the 2016 election. U.S. intelligence reported in 2017 that Russian hackers and fake accounts targeted Hillary Clinton’s campaign. A 2020 bipartisan Senate report said the same thing. Both reports said Russia helped Trump, but found no proof it changed any actual votes.
Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, supported that 2020 report. He said at the time that Russia wanted to help Trump but failed to change the final outcome.
