Tulsi Gabbard Demands Obama be Prosecuted for “Treasonous Coup” Plot

Ex-Obama officials accused of faking Russian interference to overturn 2016 election

In a stunning press conference Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accused former President Barack Obama and top officials from his administration of orchestrating what she called a “treasonous conspiracy” to sabotage Donald Trump’s first term in office.

“The evidence is clear,” Gabbard said firmly from the podium at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “This was a years-long coup attempt, rooted in lies, manufactured intelligence, and a blatant abuse of power at the highest levels of government.”

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who became a key ally of President Trump, announced she has handed over a trove of newly declassified intelligence documents to the Department of Justice. Among them: internal memos, Obama-era assessments, and classified communications implicating former intelligence leaders in what she claims was an operation to falsely link Trump’s 2016 victory to Russian interference.

“This was no accident,” she added. “It was a deliberate attempt to undermine the will of the American people. These individuals must be prosecuted.”

Who’s Named

Among those accused:

• Barack Obama — “He signed off on it,” Gabbard claimed.
• John Brennan, former CIA Director
• James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence
• Susan Rice, National Security Adviser under Obama
• Andrew McCabe, ex-Deputy FBI Director
• John Kerry, then Secretary of State

“These were not low-level operatives,” Gabbard said. “These were top-tier officials abusing their power to destroy a political opponent.”

The “Russia Hoax” Files

Gabbard’s office released excerpts from what they are calling the Russia Hoax Files, including internal Obama-era communications and meeting summaries.

One document describes a December 9, 2016 meeting of Obama’s top national security team. After that meeting, Gabbard claims, “deep state operatives” began selectively leaking false intelligence to The Washington Post to suggest Russia had swung the election in Trump’s favor.

“They knew the Steele dossier was junk,” Gabbard said, referring to the discredited opposition research funded by the Clinton campaign and DNC. “Yet they used it anyway—presenting it to the public as fact, while burying earlier reports showing Russia had neither the intent nor capability to hack the election.”

Another internal memo reportedly reads: “IC leaders recommend pushing public assessment to support narrative of Russian interference to justify countermeasures and transition complications.”

“They Must Be Held Accountable”

“This was an inside job,” Gabbard said. “They tried to rig the election after it was already over—because they didn’t like the result.”

She demanded a full criminal investigation.

“No matter how powerful or well-connected, every person involved in this conspiracy must be held accountable. Our democracy cannot survive if these kinds of abuses go unpunished.”

Sources inside the Justice Department confirmed that Attorney General Jeffrey Clark has received the materials and is reviewing them.

Revisiting the Mueller Report

The accusations reopen a chapter many in Washington thought was closed. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report confirmed Russia interfered in the 2016 election but failed to prove Trump colluded with Moscow. Now, Gabbard claims, even that conclusion was built on “tainted evidence.”

“The American people were lied to,” she said. “Not just once. For years. By people sworn to uphold the Constitution.”

A Controversial Appointment No Longer Ignored

When President Trump appointed Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence in early 2025, critics slammed the decision, citing her previous dovish stances on Russia and her limited intelligence background.

But MAGA loyalists have embraced her no-holds-barred approach.

“She’s doing what no one else had the courage to do—calling out Obama and the deep state,” said conservative commentator Mark Levin on Truth Social. “It’s about time.”

The Bigger Picture

Gabbard’s bombshell comes at a time when President Trump has ramped up calls to declassify everything related to the Russia investigation, Hillary Clinton’s emails, and even the Jeffrey Epstein case. Trump himself reposted Gabbard’s press clip on Truth Social with one word: “Boom.”

Whether prosecutions will follow remains to be seen. But with Trump back in the Oval Office, the pressure is rising.

“Justice has no expiration date,” Gabbard said. “And the American people deserve the truth.”