Gabbard Claims Obama Admin Manufactured 2016 Russian Interference Narrative in New Report

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a report on Friday that claimed Obama administration officials manipulated intelligence regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

The Details: Gabbard accused former officials of engaging in a “treasonous conspiracy” and stated that her office was submitting evidence to the Justice Department for potential criminal action. The report asserted there was no evidence that Russia manipulated the vote count directly and named key figures such as former DNI James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former FBI Director James Comey. 

For Context: Previously, a bipartisan Senate investigation found Russia tried to interfere in the election via a social media campaign, but that there was “no evidence that any votes were changed or that any voting machines were manipulated.” President Trump has long labeled the Russian investigation a “hoax.” In March, Trump ordered the declassification of files related to the FBI's "Crossfire Hurricane" investigation into Russian interference.

Democrat Reaction: Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) said, “It’s a day that ends with ‘y’ and Donald Trump desperately wants to change the subject, so Director Gabbard is rehashing decade-old false claims about the Obama Administration. Few episodes in our nation’s history have been investigated as thoroughly as the Intelligence Community’s warning in 2016 that Russia was interfering in the election. Every legitimate investigation, including the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, found no evidence of politicization and endorsed the findings of the 2016 Intelligence Community Assessment.” 

Republican Reaction: Speaker Mike Johnson wrote, “New evidence from [Gabbard] confirms what we’ve long known: The Russia hoax was a political hit job manufactured by Obama officials and weaponized by intel agencies to take down President Trump. Accountability is long overdue!”

How The Media Covered It: The story was covered by major outlets across the spectrum, though AllSides did not find coverage from several networks on the left like NBC News (Lean Left bias), MSNBC (Left), CBS (Lean Left), and ABC (Lean Left). The Washington Times (Lean Right) published an opinion from conservative commentator and former H.W. Bush administration official Jed Babbin, who argued, “Gabbard should step down as director of national intelligence.”

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