Egypt Daily News – President Donald Trump has intensified his rhetoric against predecessor Barack Obama, escalating long-standing tensions with a digitally altered image and a string of serious allegations. Over the weekend, Trump’s official Instagram account posted a controversial photoshopped image showing him behind the wheel of a police car, appearing to chase Barack Obama on foot, an illustration that quickly ignited online debate and political commentary.
The provocative post comes amid a broader campaign by Trump and his allies to implicate the Obama administration in what they describe as a “conspiracy” to undermine Trump’s presidency, centered largely around the now-discredited claims of Russian collusion in the 2016 election.
White House Spokesperson: “The Greatest Political Scandal in U.S. History”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking on behalf of Trump, accused the Obama administration of “sabotaging the will of the American people.” She claimed that top intelligence officials including former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, and his deputy Andrew McCabe knew from the start that the Russia allegations were false.
“The Russian collusion narrative was a hoax from day one,” Leavitt posted on X (formerly Twitter). “President Trump was right all along, and we are thankful that justice is finally catching up.”
Leavitt further alleged that Obama himself was aware of the inaccuracy of the intelligence community’s conclusions, describing the affair as “one of the greatest political scandals in American history.”
Tulsi Gabbard Alleges “Intelligence Manipulation” Under Obama
Adding fuel to the fire, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accused Obama’s administration of manipulating intelligence assessments to frame Trump as the beneficiary of Russian interference in 2016. In a press conference at the White House, Gabbard alleged that Obama’s security team “deliberately directed the production of a flawed intelligence report,” advancing a “fabricated narrative” that Russia supported Trump.
Gabbard presented a newly released document that she said contradicts the 2016 intelligence community’s findings. She also cited a memo published last week accusing Obama-era officials of participating in a “treasonous conspiracy” aimed at destabilizing Trump’s presidency from its inception.
Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush responded sharply, labeling the accusations “bizarre and baseless.” He reiterated that no evidence has emerged to disprove the core conclusion that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election, though it failed to alter vote counts or manipulate the results directly.
Trump Accuses Obama of Treason
Speaking at a White House event alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Trump was asked who should be held accountable based on the new documents. He pointed directly to Obama: “Based on what I’ve read, it would be President Obama. He started it.”
Trump went on to name former Vice President Joe Biden, Brennan, Clapper, and Comey as alleged participants in what he described as a “coup attempt,” though he saved his most serious charge for Obama, calling him the “ringleader” and accusing him of “treason.”
The accusations come at a time when Trump is also under growing scrutiny over his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. When pressed by reporters about his connections to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019, Trump dismissed the questions as part of a “vicious campaign” by the media and political opponents.
Epstein Controversy Reignited
New images aired by CNN show Epstein attending Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, reigniting public interest in the extent of their association. Trump has not been implicated in any crimes related to Epstein, but his political adversaries have seized on the renewed focus as a symbol of elite impunity.
The New York Times described Trump’s recent rhetoric, especially his targeting of Obama and Hillary Clinton, as “a brazen example of his ongoing campaign of political vengeance, one that has few parallels in American political history.”
The Obama office issued a rare public response. “These absurd claims are a desperate attempt to distract from real issues,” said spokesperson Rodenbush. “Nothing in the documents released changes the established conclusion that Russia did try to influence the 2016 election—without affecting vote tallies.”
Intelligence Community Under Review
The Trump administration’s re-examination of the 2016 election intelligence assessments began under former CIA Director John Ratcliffe. That review questioned the methodology used by Obama-era officials and criticized Brennan for allowing unverified information, such as the controversial dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele to influence the intelligence community’s conclusions.
Agency analysts who participated in the review reportedly accused Brennan of rushing the assessment and promoting political narratives not supported by solid evidence.
As Trump pursues legal and political strategies ahead of the 2024 election, his aggressive rhetoric toward Obama, Clinton, and federal agencies is expected to remain a central feature of his campaign.
