Tulsi Gabbard announces she has officially referred Barack Obama to the DOJ for criminal prosecution

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has rejected allegations that he attempted to stage a coup, following President Donald Trump’s claim on Tuesday that Obama led a campaign to falsely tie Trump to Russia in an effort to sabotage his 2016 presidential bid.

In a rare public statement, Obama’s office issued a firm denial in response to the president’s accusations, after Trump told reporters that Obama tried to “overthrow” his presidency and was guilty of “treason”—claims made without any supporting evidence.

“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement.

“But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”

Trump has previously criticized Obama, but this marked the first time during his presidency that he openly accused the former president and his administration of criminal conduct.

While meeting with the president of the Philippines in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump echoed remarks from his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who last week suggested that Obama and his officials could face criminal charges over what she claimed was intelligence showing they had conspired against Trump.

Gabbard declassified certain documents and claimed they revealed a “treasonous conspiracy”—allegations that Democratic lawmakers have dismissed as unfounded and politically driven.

“It’s there, he’s guilty. This was treason,” Trump asserted, again without presenting any proof.

“They tried to steal the election, they tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever imagined, even in other countries.”

However, prior investigations contradict the Trump administration’s assertions. U.S. intelligence and independent probes have found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in an effort to benefit Trump.

A 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded that Russia used political operatives—including Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort—as well as WikiLeaks and other means to influence the election in Trump’s favor, though it did not establish criminal conspiracy on the part of the Trump campaign.