Former President Barack Obama’s office claims that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) report indicating senior officials in the Obama administration orchestrated the “Russia Collusion” hoax after President Donald Trump was elected, is “outrageous.”
Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush issued a statement challenging the report released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Friday, according to a screenshot from the Hill White House columnist Niall Stanage.
The ODNI report found “overwhelming evidence that demonstrates how, after President Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, President Obama and his national security cabinet members manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump,” per a release from Gabbard’s office.
Rodenbush heavily denied the allegations in the report:
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 and merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.
Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. These findings were affirmed by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.
The statement comes hours after Trump declared Obama is “guilty.”
“He’s guilty. It’s not a question, you know, I like to say, ‘Let’s give it time.’ It’s there. He’s guilty… This was treason. This was every word you can think of. They tried to steal the election. They tried to obfuscate the election,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump also emphasized that he did not pursue charges against twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2017 over her email scandal, but said after what has happened to him over the past decade, “it’s time to go after people.”
“You know, when we caught Hillary Clinton, I said, ‘You know what, let’s not… go too far here; It’s the ex-wife of a president.’ And I thought it was sort of terrible, and I let her off the hook. And I’m very happy I did,” Trump said.
“…After what they did to me, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s time to go after people. Obama’s been caught directly. So people say, ‘Oh, you know a group.’ It’s not a group, it’s Obama. His orders are on the paper. The papers are signed,” Trump added.
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