Former President Barack Obama has broken his silence following Donald Trump’s recent accusation that Obama attempted to rig both the 2016 and 2020 elections. In a sharp rebuttal, Obama’s spokesperson, Patrick Rodenbush, dismissed the claims as “a weak attempt at distraction.”
“Our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” said Rodenbush, “but these assertions are so ludicrous that they deserve one.”
Trump made the explosive allegations during a July 22 Oval Office meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. While avoiding questions about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in federal custody, Trump instead turned the spotlight on Obama. “It’s time to go after people,” he said. “Obama has been caught directly… guilty of treason.” He further accused the former president of working to manipulate the outcome of U.S. elections and of “doing things in other nations that no one could have predicted.”
Adding to the controversy, former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard released an 11-page report accusing Obama-era officials of engaging in a “treasonous conspiracy.” The Obama team firmly rejected the allegations, stating that Gabbard’s report “contains nothing that challenges the bipartisan consensus that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election, but failed to alter any votes.” Rodenbush also cited a 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report, led by Republican Senator Marco Rubio, which reaffirmed those findings.
The flare-up comes amid renewed scrutiny of Trump’s connections to Epstein. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently blocked the release of further Epstein files and denied the existence of a client list. That move has sparked widespread speculation and frustration, including within Trump’s own MAGA base. Epstein’s case, and what many see as a lack of transparency, became a central topic at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit.
Observers on both sides view Trump’s accusations as a calculated move to redirect public attention as legal and political pressures continue to mount.
