Former President Barack Obama has addressed recent claims made by Donald Trump, who alleged that Obama was involved in efforts to influence the outcomes of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections. In a rare public statement, Obama described the accusations as “a weak attempt at distraction,” pushing back against what he characterized as unfounded political rhetoric.
Obama’s spokesperson, Patrick Rodenbush, commented, “Our office typically refrains from responding to the constant stream of misinformation out of respect for the office of the presidency. However, these claims are so unfounded that they merit a clear response.”
Rodenbush also addressed a separate document released by former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, which included allegations involving former Obama administration officials. “There is nothing in that report that undermines the widely accepted conclusion that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election, but did not affect the vote totals,” he said. He added that these conclusions were supported by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee in its 2020 report, chaired by Senator Marco Rubio.
Trump’s renewed claims surfaced during a meeting at the White House on July 22 with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. While responding to unrelated questions, Trump redirected attention to his predecessor. “The investigation you should be talking about is the one involving President Obama,” Trump stated. “People are beginning to see what really happened.”
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