Trump vs Obama: US Intelligence Report Sparks New War Over 2016 Election

Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has ignited a political storm after releasing a GOP-led report accusing Barack Obama of orchestrating the Russia-Trump interference narrative.

Gabbard Points Finger at Obama

Tulsi Gabbard announced the declassification of a House Republican intelligence report during a White House press briefing.

According to her, the report shows that Obama “led the manufacturing” of the now-famous 2017 intelligence assessment.

That assessment claimed Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win.

The timing was explosive. Just a day earlier, Trump accused Obama of treason over the same issue.

Gabbard’s move has since dominated headlines and reignited deep divisions over election integrity and intelligence trust.

Trump Allies Move to Discredit Intel Community

The GOP report was authored by allies of Trump, including former Rep. Devin Nunes and current FBI Director Kash Patel. Their goal: to cast doubt on the U.S. intelligence community’s Russia findings.

Attorney General Pam Bondi responded quickly. She confirmed the creation of a Justice Department strike force to explore legal consequences of the new revelations.

The team, she said, will “investigate potential next legal steps.”

Pushback from Intelligence Officials

Gabbard claimed the Russia report was a “contrived narrative” designed to mislead Americans.

She argued that Russia’s true aim in 2016 was to undermine democracy not to help Trump.

However, intelligence officials are not convinced. CIA Director John Ratcliffe acknowledged some concerns about Putin’s alleged preference for Trump.

Still, he called the original conclusions “defensible.”

The GOP report didn’t allege fabrication but criticized the intelligence for relying on thin sources and ignoring contradictory data.

Meanwhile, a 2020 bipartisan Senate report upheld the original findings and found “no major tradecraft issues.”

Fallout and Backlash

The political backlash came swiftly. Senator Mark Warner, top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, condemned the release.

He warned it could put intelligence sources and U.S. allies at risk.

“By releasing a partisan report, Director Gabbard is signaling to global partners that U.S. intelligence can no longer be trusted to protect shared secrets,” Warner said.

CNN sources claimed the release occurred before final redactions.

A senior intelligence official added that sensitive details in the report could compromise how the U.S. collects high-level intelligence.

One unredacted section revealed how agencies tracked Vladimir Putin’s intentions, including intercepted briefings.

Critics said such exposure could sever ties with foreign intelligence sources.

The report also reignited debate over the discredited Steele dossier.

Republicans say it fueled public skepticism, though it didn’t impact the core 2017 assessment.

Special Counsel John Durham’s four-year investigation found no wrongdoing by intelligence officials. It led to no charges linked to the 2017 report.

Earlier in March 2025, Trump declassified other documents on Russia. One unredacted file later disappeared, raising fresh concerns.

Officials now fear Gabbard’s release filled with references to signal intelligence and Kremlin meetings could trigger similar damage.

The full scope of the declassified material remains unknown. But political, legal, and international reactions have already begun.

As scrutiny builds, experts expect the fallout to grow in the days ahead.

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