Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed Wednesday that former President Barack Obama has been formally referred to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation in connection with the manufacturing of the Russia-Trump collusion narrative during the 2016 election.
Speaking from the White House, Gabbard told reporters the evidence clearly shows that Obama directed senior intelligence officials, including CIA Director John Brennan, to produce a false intelligence community assessment (ICA) using the discredited Steele Dossier as justification.
“There is irrefutable evidence that details how President Barack Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false,” Gabbard said.
When asked directly whether she was referring Obama for criminal prosecution, she responded:
“Correct.”
“Are you referring former President Obama to the DOJ for criminal implications?”
TULSI GABBARD: “Correct!” pic.twitter.com/W7ZzAQ8vyD
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 23, 2025
Declassified Docs Reveal Politicized Intel
The announcement came as Gabbard also released newly declassified intelligence reports, including a 2016 document showing that Russia did not attempt to help Trump win—contradicting the claims pushed by Obama’s intelligence officials in the ICA that was used to justify years of politically motivated investigations.
“The evidence we have found and released directly points to President Obama leading the manufacturing of this intelligence assessment,” Gabbard said.
The report confirms that the ICA’s core judgment—that Putin wanted Trump to win—was based on a single, vague sentence fragment from an unverifiable human intelligence source, dismissed internally by CIA officers as unreliable and misinterpreted.
“When you look at the intent behind creating a fake, manufactured intelligence document… the expressed intent was to undermine the incoming president,” Gabbard said.
Asked if Obama committed treason, she replied: “That’s a question for Attorney General Pam Bondi.”
REPORTER: “Do you believe President Obama is guilty of treason?”@DNIGabbard: “When you look at the intent behind creating a fake, manufactured intelligence document that directly contradicts multiple assessments that were created by the intelligence community, the expressed… pic.twitter.com/PQZtRB2UZA
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 23, 2025
Criminal Referrals Escalate Under Trump Administration
Gabbard’s explosive announcement follows President Donald Trump’s directive to fully declassify intelligence documents related to the 2016 election and hold accountable all those who attempted to sabotage his presidency.
The DNI’s findings were detailed in a House Intelligence Oversight Majority Staff Report, which Gabbard also declassified:
“New evidence has emerged of the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history,” Gabbard wrote on X.
Senior adviser Stephen Miller responded on X, calling it “a seditious coup against the Republic.”
“Do not underestimate their capabilities or depravities. But WE are stronger,” Miller wrote.
What Happens Next?
Attorney General Pam Bondi is expected to review the criminal referral and determine whether to proceed with charges. While Gabbard stopped short of declaring Obama guilty of treason, she emphasized that no one is above the law, and criminal implications are now firmly on the table.
With declassified documents in hand and bipartisan pressure mounting for transparency, the investigation now shifts to the DOJ and FBI, where officials have pledged to act on credible referrals tied to the Obama-era efforts to undermine the 2016 election.
