Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman, is making headlines again. In a recent press briefing at the White House, she accused former President Barack Obama and his team of orchestrating a political scheme during the 2016 election. Gabbard claimed they tried to stop Donald Trump from winning by using government intelligence tools against him.
She presented what she called strong evidence of wrongdoing. According to Gabbard, top officials in the Obama administration created false information to damage Trump’s victory. She accused them of trying to “subvert the will of the American people.” However, most of her statements were not new, and many have been previously questioned by experts.
Gabbard said her goal was to stop national security agencies from being used for political purposes. Yet, her comments have raised new concerns. Critics now wonder whether she is truly independent or simply pushing Trump’s views using her role in the intelligence community.
Once a Democratic candidate for president, Gabbard now plays a key role in Trump’s political circle. During her speech, her husband followed her closely with a video camera, documenting every moment. Trump quickly promoted her remarks, sharing a video clip at the top of his social media account.
This event solidified Gabbard’s image as one of Trump’s most loyal defenders. Her efforts also aligned with Trump’s attempt to redirect public attention from other issues, such as questions about his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Gabbard stated that she has referred all related documents to the Department of Justice. Within hours, the department announced the creation of a special “strike force” to look into her findings.
Obama’s team responded a day earlier with a brief statement. Spokesman Patrick Rodenbush called the claims “bizarre” and described them as a weak attempt to distract from current issues. The White House, when asked about the timing of Gabbard’s release, avoided giving a clear answer.
Despite this, Trump expressed support. He praised Gabbard’s loyalty and referred to her in flattering terms at a recent event.
Later that day, Gabbard published a report created by Republican staff from the House Intelligence Committee during Trump’s first term. While the report confirmed that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it questioned the intelligence community’s process. It claimed flaws in how they concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted Trump to win.
Gabbard highlighted parts of the report that mentioned a controversial dossier. This document contained unverified claims about Trump’s links to Russia. It was cited in a classified version of an intelligence report back in 2017. However, it was not the reason the FBI opened its Russia investigation in July 2016. Still, Trump allies often point to the dossier to challenge the larger probe.
Gabbard admitted she did not know why the documents had not been released during Trump’s time in office. Her team did not answer further questions about the timing.
When reporters asked about Gabbard’s motives, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the concern. She said the press was inventing a controversy that didn’t exist. According to her, Gabbard acted only in the interest of transparency.
Trump, on the other hand, encouraged the public to focus on Gabbard’s report. He said the media should stop discussing Epstein and instead look at alleged misconduct by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
John Ratcliffe, who briefly served as Director of National Intelligence under Trump, did not release the information Gabbard declassified. The CIA also declined to comment on her statements.
While the political debate continues, experts caution that the broader facts remain unchanged. Russia did interfere in the 2016 election, and the origin of the investigation was not the disputed dossier. Whether Gabbard’s claims lead to new legal steps or not, her speech has already added fuel to a long-running political fight.
