Obama Responds After Trump Accuses Him of Treason Over 2016 Election
In a rare public statement, former President Barack Obama has pushed back against fresh accusations from President Donald Trump, who recently claimed that Obama committed treason during the 2016 election. The allegation, delivered during a July 22 press briefing, marks one of Trump’s most direct attacks on his predecessor in recent years.
Trump, 79, alleged that the Obama administration attempted to “steal” the 2016 election, referencing longstanding, unproven claims about intelligence reports surrounding Russian interference. “This was treason,” Trump told reporters, accusing the former administration of undermining the election process. However, no formal evidence has been presented to support this charge.
The Obama administration did publicly warn in late 2016 that Russia had attempted to influence the election, though officials emphasized that no votes were altered. A 2020 bipartisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed that Russian operatives sought to interfere in the election, particularly via cyber operations and disinformation campaigns, with efforts reportedly benefiting Trump’s candidacy.
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