In late July 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified a collection of documents asserting that the Obama administration knowingly manipulated intelligence to portray Russian support for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. She labeled it a “treasonous conspiracy,” alleging officials fabricated evidence by ignoring earlier assessments that Russia posed minimal interference risk and suppressing contradictory findings.
Gabbard’s released materials include intelligence briefs indicating that, before the election, analysts judged Russia was unlikely to sway the outcome via cyber means. Despite this, she contends, senior officials such as James Clapper, John Brennan, and James Comey later endorsed a contradictory narrative. These claims are drawn from a 2020 House Intelligence Committee report she made public, which she asserts highlights deliberate misrepresentation at the highest levels.
Following the document release, the Department of Justice launched a special strike force to probe these allegations, examining potential crimes tied to politicizing intelligence operations. Gabbard has also made a formal criminal referral to the DOJ, calling for accountability against former officials.
However, a review by independent reporters and intelligence veterans found no support in the declassified files for the notion of a planned effort to undermine Trump’s presidency. Multiple bipartisan investigations, including a Senate Intelligence Committee inquiry, reaffirmed that while Russia did interfere in 2016, there was no evidence Russia aimed to boost Trump directly or that intelligence analysts were under partisan pressure.