Tulsi Gabbard has alleged that a "treasonous conspiracy" was carried out by senior members of the Obama administration and intelligence community in the lead-up to and aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. Here's the core of her claim:

🔍 Key Points:

Original Intelligence Assessment:

Leading up to the 2016 election, U.S. intelligence agencies assessed that Russia lacked the tools, capability, or intent to alter the election outcome.

Even immediately after Trump’s win, intelligence reports continued to reflect that Russia had not hacked or changed votes.

Pulled Intelligence Report:

A President’s Daily Brief (PDB) in early December 2016 reaffirmed this assessment.

Gabbard claims this report was suddenly pulled hours before publication and buried—never shown to President Obama.

Obama’s Alleged Directive:

The next day, President Obama convened a National Security Council meeting and allegedly ordered a new intelligence assessment.

This new document changed the conclusion, claiming Russia had interfered in the election—not speculatively, but definitively.

Manufactured Intelligence Claim:

Gabbard says this new intelligence was "manufactured" and used to justify years of political attacks on Trump, framing it as a deliberate effort to undermine his presidency—a “long-term coup.”

She compares it to false WMD intelligence before the Iraq War.

Call for Accountability:

Gabbard has released over 100 documents and referred them to the DOJ, calling for criminal accountability, naming figures like Barack Obama, James Clapper (former DNI), CIA officials, etc.

Democratic Response:

Sen. Mark Warner and others dismissed Gabbard’s claims, saying she’s confusing two separate issues:

Hacking election systems (which Russia failed to do)

Influence operations (which Russia did attempt, but with minimal effect)

Historical Context:

Similar investigations during Trump’s term (including Republican-led Senate inquiries) found no direct evidence that Obama or his team orchestrated a conspiracy to unseat Trump.

🎯 Bottom Line:

Gabbard is accusing top Obama-era officials of deliberately falsifying intelligence post-election to claim Russian interference—thereby undermining Trump’s presidency and launching a "years-long coup." This explosive allegation is now being sent to the Department of Justice for further investigation, though critics argue the claim conflates ineffective foreign influence efforts with actual election tampering.

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