In a fiery and rare rebuttal, former President Barack Obama’s office slammed Donald Trump after the current president accused him of “treason” and demanded the Justice Department investigate his predecessor for allegedly orchestrating the Russia “hoax.”
“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” said Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.”
He called Trump’s remarks a “bizarre” and “weak attempt at distraction” amid deepening controversies surrounding the president — including renewed scrutiny over Trump’s long-standing ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The statement also rebuked recent claims from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who alleged the Obama administration had politicized intelligence to target Trump. Rodenbush pointed to consistent findings from both U.S. intelligence agencies and the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee — chaired by Republican Marco Rubio — confirming Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election, even though no votes were changed.
Trump’s accusations came during an Oval Office appearance alongside Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., where he abruptly pivoted from an Epstein-related question to hurl a flurry of attacks at Obama, Hillary Clinton, and top intelligence officials from the previous administration.
“They were all in on it — Obama, Biden, Comey, Clapper, all of them,” Trump said, referring to what he called a “coup” attempt against him during his first campaign. “After what they did to me — whether it’s right or wrong — it’s time to go after people.”
Trump also said it was up to Attorney General Pam Bondi to “act,” adding, “We have a very competent, very loyal person in Pam Bondi… but it’s her call.”
Gabbard reportedly made formal criminal referrals to the Justice Department, alleging Obama’s team “fabricated” intelligence — an accusation that has drawn fierce backlash from national security veterans and sparked concern among legal experts over Trump’s use of the executive branch for political retribution.
Tensions between Obama and Trump have long simmered beneath the surface. Trump rose to political prominence by pushing the false “birther” conspiracy that Obama was not born in the United States — and many close to Trump point to Obama’s 2011 takedown of him at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as a personal turning point that cemented his desire to run for office.
Though the two were recently seen exchanging polite conversation at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, the bitterness remains — and Trump’s latest remarks may have taken their feud to a new level.
Adding to the spectacle, Trump in recent days has posted AI-generated images of Obama in an orange prison jumpsuit, escalating his calls for prosecution with viral imagery.
Trump also derided the Steele dossier as “all lies,” insisting again there was “no collusion” between his campaign and Russia. While the Mueller Report confirmed that Russia did interfere in the 2016 election and found over 140 contacts between Trump associates and Russian nationals, it did not establish a criminal conspiracy — a nuanced conclusion that Trump continues to distort.
Now six months into his second term, Trump’s rhetoric has grown even sharper. During his Oval Office rant, he branded Obama as “the leader of the gang” and called Clinton “as crooked as a three-dollar bill.”
Despite multiple criminal indictments during his comeback campaign — including a felony conviction in New York — Trump rode the legal firestorm to electoral victory, framing himself as the target of a political witch hunt.
With his Justice Department under pressure to act on Gabbard’s referrals, and his supporters demanding accountability, Trump appears determined to settle old scores.
But Obama’s team isn’t staying silent anymore. And with tensions boiling over, the battle lines between two presidents — past and present — have never been clearer.