Gabbard Releases Documents Alleging Obama ‘Coup’ Against Trump Victory in 2016
“What these documents detail, to me, in my view, cannot be explained as anything but a treasonous conspiracy.”
With these words, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, ignited a new storm in Washington, as her office released over 100 pages of declassified documents on July 18, 2025.
These documents challenge the official narrative about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
In 2016, Donald Trump faced Hillary Clinton in a fierce race. After Trump’s win, many claimed Russia changed the outcome through cyberattacks.
However, the newly released files show U.S. intelligence agencies first agreed Russia lacked both the skill and intent to affect the result.
These agencies drafted a President’s Daily Brief on December 7, 2016, clearly stating that Russia did not attempt to hack the election.
That assessment never reached the public; it remained concealed for years.
Officials prepared talking points for DNI James Clapper on December 8, reinforcing that foreign adversaries did not alter the election via cyberattacks.
The very next day, President Obama convened his top security officials , including
- DNI James Clapper,
- CIA Director John Brennan,
- National Security Advisor Susan Rice,
- Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and
- FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe,
and, despite the intelligence community’s findings, directed them to launch a new review centered on Russian interference (“not if, but how” Russia influenced the outcome).
This led to leaks alleging Vladimir Putin’s personal involvement, and the Intelligence Community Assessment released publicly on January 6, 2017, which suppressed prior findings and incorporated unreliable sources like the Steele dossier.
Gabbard Releases Documents Alleging Obama ‘Coup’ Against Trump
Gabbard described these events as a “years-long coup” targeting Trump before his presidency began.
According to her, Obama’s top advisors refused to accept the election result and manufactured claims to undermine Trump. These claims served as the foundation for major investigations.
The Mueller probe cost taxpayers approximately $32 million over two years, two impeachments, lawsuits, depositions, investigations of high-level officials and Trump family members, arrests, imprisonments, and years of smears, and political conflicts.
The recently released documents are now under Justice Department review by Attorney General Pam Bondi for potential criminal charges, including treason against officials like Brennan and Clapper, as Gabbard emphasized no one is above the law to restore faith in elections.
Gabbard stresses, “This is an issue with such significant impact that it should concern every American because it has to do with the fabric and integrity of our democratic republic.”
Gabbard compared this to manufactured intelligence on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction under George W. Bush, noting even greater impact here on U.S. democracy, drawing from her own military service in Iraq as a caution against weaponizing intelligence against political enemies.
Democrats, including Senator Mark Warner and Representative Jim Himes, denounced the release as politically motivated, error-ridden, and a distraction from issues like Trump’s Epstein ties.
The bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2017 to 2020 and the Mueller Report affirmed Russian interference “in sweeping and systematic fashion” without Trump campaign collusion.
A recent CIA review criticized the 2016 assessment’s speed but referred Brennan for investigation.
Public reactions on social media vary, with supporters demanding arrests for Obama officials and opponents dismissing it as rehashing old conspiracies.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief