What started as an already fiery political conversation turned nuclear this weekend as Tulsi Gabbard escalated her war of words with former President Barack Obama, accusing him of a “treasonous conspiracy” linked to the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation. And in true 2025 fashion, the battle played out across cable news, social media, and official statements.
Gabbard Takes Her Case Public—And Personal
Appearing on Fox & Friends Saturday morning, Tulsi Gabbard didn’t hold back.
The former Democrat-turned-Republican and ex-congresswoman accused Obama of not only failing to stop the intelligence community from implicating Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign in Russian collusion, but claimed the whole thing was a deliberate setup.
“This wasn’t just a failure,” Gabbard said. “It was a deliberate effort to deceive the American people.
” She’s sticking to her claim that the Obama White House pushed a false narrative that Russia helped Trump win in 2016.
Obama Fires Back, Calls Allegations a Distraction
It didn’t take long for Obama’s team to hit back.
In a rare public response, his spokesperson brushed off the accusations as “bizarre” and “a weak attempt at distraction”—pointing directly at Gabbard’s recent report and suggesting it was all an effort to deflect attention from the Jeffrey Epstein case that’s once again heating up headlines.
But Gabbard, unfazed, said the president’s carefully worded reply avoided directly addressing the real issue: accountability.
“Instead of explaining where this intelligence came from or why it was pushed in the first place, all they do is deflect,” she said.
A Criminal Referral Against Obama
Not content with just talking about it, Gabbard has taken her accusations a step further.
She submitted a criminal referral to Attorney General Pam Bondi, claiming that Obama’s administration “manufactured and politicized intelligence” to take down Trump before he even took office.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she didn’t mince words: “Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people.”
She promised all documents were being turned over to the Justice Department for review and called for prosecution “to the fullest extent of the law.”
Trump Adds Fuel to the Fire with Talk of ‘Treason’
Trump, of course, wasted no time jumping in.
On Tuesday, he openly accused Obama of “treason” and said the former president had been caught “cold.”
He’s also encouraged Pam Bondi to investigate and potentially prosecute Obama—though he was careful to say it was ultimately up to her.
Still, over the weekend, Trump conceded that a recent Supreme Court decision—which grants presidents immunity for official acts taken in office—likely shields Obama from any real legal consequences.
Ironically, that decision was won by Trump’s own legal team.
“He Owes Me Big,” Says Trump
While speaking to reporters before flying to Scotland on Friday, Trump acknowledged that the ruling on presidential immunity “probably helps Obama a lot.”
“He has done criminal acts, no question about it,” Trump claimed. “But he has immunity… and he owes me big. Obama owes me big.”
Obama’s Team Leans on Senate Findings
Obama’s team also pointed to bipartisan findings from 2020, where a Senate Intelligence Committee report—chaired by Republican Senator Marco Rubio—affirmed that while Russia worked to interfere in the 2016 election, it didn’t manipulate actual votes.
That line appeared to be a dig at Trump’s national security adviser and secretary of state, who were reportedly seated beside him during his latest tirade.
Old Rivalry, New Flashpoint
Tensions between Trump and Obama have never fully cooled, even though they were seen making polite conversation earlier this year at Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
After all, Trump launched his political rise by pushing “birther” conspiracy theories aimed directly at Obama’s legitimacy.
Now, nearly a decade later, the former president and the current one are once again at the center of a political firestorm—this time involving intelligence claims, legal immunity, and renewed calls for prosecution.
