On Friday, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released newly declassified documents revealing what she called “overwhelming evidence” that former President Barack Obama and key officials from his Cabinet and the Intelligence Community conspired to undermine President Donald Trump after his 2016 election victory. According to Gabbard, the documents confirm a coordinated effort to delegitimize Trump’s win through false accusations and misinformation, amounting to what she described as a “years-long coup.”
On Sunday General Mike Flynn Tweeted an excellent summary of the case:
The materials include a “Russia Hoax Memo & Timeline” and a 35-page evidentiary file titled Declassified Evidence of Obama Administration Conspiracy to Subvert President Trump’s 2016 Victory and Presidency. Gabbard’s findings directly contradict claims that Russia manipulated the election outcome, asserting instead that the Intelligence Community (IC) had consistently concluded Russia lacked the intent or capacity to alter U.S. vote counts. A September 2016 IC report stated foreign adversaries were unlikely to execute undetected cyberattacks on election systems.
Despite this, Gabbard alleges that senior Obama officials, possibly including Obama himself, suppressed these assessments. A draft presidential daily brief on December 7, 2016, confirming no foreign cyber interference, was abruptly canceled. Shortly after, President Obama convened top officials, including John Brennan and Susan Rice, to order a new Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), released January 6, 2017. This report — which relied in part on the discredited Steele dossier — asserted that Russia interfered to help Trump, despite prior internal dissent calling it politicized.
The timeline released by Gabbard outlines key moments of manipulation, including FBI efforts to soften pre-election assessments, conflicting intelligence leaks, and mounting pressure on dissenters within the agencies. A whistleblower who challenged the narrative was sidelined. Leaks to the media intensified in December 2016, falsely suggesting Putin’s personal involvement in a scheme to help Trump.
Gabbard emphasized that this deception led to serious consequences: two impeachments of President Trump, increased U.S.-Russia tensions, and reputational and legal harm to Trump officials like Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. Gabbard claims the Obama administration “manufactured” aspects of the Steele dossier and misrepresented Russia’s role, weaponizing intelligence for political ends.
In her statement and July 18 social media post, Gabbard committed to full investigation and prosecution, promising accountability to President Trump, his family, and the American people for what she described as one of the most significant political scandals in U.S. history.