Former US President Barack Obama has clapped back at Donald Trump after the current president accused him of “treason” and called for a criminal investigation over the so-called Russia collusion saga.
Obama’s spokesman Patrick Rodenbush dismissed Trump’s comments as “bizarre allegations” and a “weak attempt at distraction.”
“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. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one,” Rodenbush said.
The pushback came hours after Trump, speaking in the Oval Office alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., doubled down on his claim that Obama was the mastermind of a “treasonous conspiracy” to remove him from power.
Trump, who posted an AI-generated image of Obama in an orange jumpsuit on Truth Social over the weekend, told reporters:
“After what they did to me, whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people.”
Asked who should face prosecution, Trump replied without hesitation:
“It would be President Obama – who started it – and Biden was there with him, and [James] Comey was there, and [James] Clapper, the whole group was there.”
The accusations stem from a report released by Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, which claims Obama’s team “manufactured and politicized intelligence” to tie Trump to Russia in 2016.
But Obama’s camp pointed to findings from a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report affirming that Russia did attempt to influence the 2016 election, though it failed to alter votes.
Trump has vowed “retribution” since returning to the White House for a second term, often revisiting grievances from his first presidency, including the Steele dossier and the Mueller investigation, which found no evidence of Trump conspiring with Russia.
Meanwhile, the president’s remarks sparked fresh talks on whether his Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, will act on his calls to prosecute a former president.
