Last week, a statement from former President Obama’s office reaffirmed the widely accepted view that while Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election, there was no evidence of vote manipulation. This clarity emerged after the current US President accused Obama of “treason” earlier in the week. The accusation stemmed from his comments regarding an investigation conducted by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, which he claimed found Obama culpable.
In his remarks, the President vehemently stated, “He’s guilty. This was treason. They tried to steal the election. They tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever even imagined,” when pressed by reporters about Gabbard’s findings and who should be targeted in the investigation.
In contrast, the response from Obama’s office dismissed these claims as “bizarre” and termed them a feeble effort to deflect attention from other issues. They maintained that the conclusions of Russian interference remain unchanged, emphasising a significant distinction between attempted foreign influence and actual vote tampering.