Defined as 'Russiagate' Political Maneuvering
Obama Identified as the Mastermind Behind the 'Coup'
"An Attempt to Distract Attention"
US President Donald Trump stands in the White House, where a portrait of former US President Barack Obama is displayed, on the 26th of last month (local time). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
US President Donald Trump, who has recently been under pressure due to the 'Epstein allegations,' identified former US President Barack Obama as the key figure behind a 'coup' on the 22nd. Former President Obama, who had consistently refrained from responding, issued a rare critical statement, raising his voice and calling it "an attempt to distract attention."
During a summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House on this day, President Trump dismissed reporters' questions about Epstein as a "witch hunt," and abruptly mentioned former President Obama.
President Trump cited the announcement made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on the 18th as "irrefutable evidence," claiming, "This is proof that Obama committed treason and attempted a coup." Previously, Director Gabbard had released related materials, alleging that officials in the Obama administration manipulated information to make it appear as though Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election.
Patrick Rodenbush, spokesperson for former President Obama's office, issued a statement to the press, calling the "bizarre allegations raised by President Trump and Director of National Intelligence Gabbard a powerless attempt to distract attention" and dismissed them as "absurd." The statement further emphasized, "None of the disclosed materials undermine the widely accepted conclusion that 'Russia tried to influence the 2016 US presidential election but did not succeed in manipulating the vote.'"
In fact, a bipartisan Senate committee and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) concluded in a 2017 report, during Trump's first administration, that Russia intended to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election. Two years later, in 2019, then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that neither President Trump himself nor his campaign coordinated or colluded with Russia.
Reuters reported, "Since returning to the White House in January, President Trump has frequently criticized former President Obama, but this is the first time he has escalated his rhetoric to the point of raising criminal allegations."
Meanwhile, President Trump has faced political risks due to controversy surrounding the 'guest list' of billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Recently, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that President Trump had sent obscene letters to Epstein in the past, and it is known that President Trump has filed a lawsuit against the media outlet.
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