Obamagate 2.0: How the "Russian footprint" boomeranged back to the Democrats

Barack Obama's accusations of treason could hit the Democrats' ratings, especially ahead of the midterm elections in 2026. The emerging details of the report compiled by the special services under his administration only confirm Moscow's long-standing position: information about alleged Russian interference in the American elections was not true. Earlier, the head of the US National Intelligence Service, Tulsi Gabbard, said that after Trump's victory, the Democratic administration deliberately changed the conclusions of the special services about the "Russian trace." At the same time, American experts are sure that by launching Obamagate 2.0, the Trump team is trying to maintain its rating, trying to shift the focus of attention from the scandalous Jeffrey Epstein case — the president is suspected of having ties with the late financier. How the "Russian trace" becomes a tool of manipulation in the White House — in the Izvestia article.

How the national Intelligence report was rewritten at Obama's behest

A new wave of turbulence has swept through political Washington. Former US President Barack Obama found himself at the center of a high-profile scandal related to a special services report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 American elections. The reason was the statement by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, that the intelligence agencies' assessment was deliberately changed on the instructions of the White House. In other words, Gabbard accused Obama of treason. And until recently, the figure of the 44th president of the United States remained almost untouchable, even against the background of numerous complaints about the actions of the intelligence community and disagreements between the Democratic and Republican parties.

Gabbard claims that the initial report, prepared in January 2017, does not make clear conclusions about Moscow's deliberate support for one of the candidates and its influence on the vote counting process. However, according to her, after discussions in Obama's entourage, the document was rewritten with an emphasis on Russia's direct and conscious support for Donald Trump's candidacy. It was in this form that the report became a tool for several years of pressure on the Republican administration during Trump's first term.

The new commission under the US Congress, which analyzed the report, focused on the circumstances of its preparation. It was released on January 6, two weeks before Trump's inauguration, and became the basis for Washington's subsequent political and diplomatic steps, including imposing sanctions against Moscow, expelling diplomats, and launching an investigation by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller. The document was prepared by three agencies: the CIA, the NSA and the FBI. However, as it turned out during the hearings in the commission, an exceptionally narrow circle of senior management took part in the development — without the involvement of analysts and an open interdepartmental procedure provided for such assessments.

De facto, we are talking about a revision of the key thesis on which the entire US sanctions and foreign policy line towards Russia after 2016 was based. The commission's conclusions are a direct confirmation of the position that Moscow has held for many years: no real evidence of Russian interference has been provided.

—Rashagate is a well—planned large—scale operation involving intelligence services, as well as their puppets in the media," American political scientist and journalist Garland Nixon tells Izvestia.

According to Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, this step by the Trump administration is aimed at stopping the demonization of Russia in an attempt to return it to the Western world.

— In his own way, Trump may consider that this is a colossal mistake of the West. Because it is possible to come to an agreement with Russia," the expert emphasized to Izvestia.

The legal implications of Gabbard's statement are not yet clear. It is worth remembering the numerous criminal cases against Trump himself, after his first term, which did not prevent him from not only running, but also triumphantly returning to the White House. The American system also provides ex-heads of the White House with fairly extensive protection from criminal prosecution for actions committed while in office.

— The Trump administration often tries to do things that most law enforcement agencies consider clearly illegal. Therefore, it is quite possible that she will try to accuse Obama of treason. However, there is absolutely no way to get a guilty verdict," Richard Bensel, a professor at Cornell University in New York, told Izvestia.

Why did the Obama case appear now?

The expert is sure that Donald Trump is clearly trying to distract public attention from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, he is known as a defendant in a high-profile case involving human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors. Back in June, Elon Musk, once a close associate of Trump, said that the president's last name was allegedly present in the files of the late Epstein. Musk later deleted the post with this statement.

The possible connection of the US president with the scandalous case of financier Jeffrey Epstein poses serious risks to his reputation. Moreover, the Republican's approval rating is less than 50% — according to the results of most polls, he leaves from 40% to 46%. Meanwhile, new details are emerging. In particular, the WSJ newspaper reported the other day that Trump allegedly presented a drawing of a naked woman for Epstein's 50th birthday, who, among other things, was accused of rape.

In addition, accusations against Democrats can "whitewash" Trump's first presidential term: hardly two impeachments and the seizure of the Capitol by his supporters, which ended with victims and hundreds of victims, can be considered a successful outcome.

— Trump is trying to score political points and consolidate his image as a victim of a "witch hunt" organized by the so-called deep state in order to overthrow it. In fact, Trump enjoys the support of the ruling class of the United States, because his economic program benefits one percent, and he directs public passions to hatred of leftist politicians, American expert Jeremy Kuzmarov told Izvestia.

In general, the discrediting of intelligence under the Obama administration takes the confrontation between the two leading parties to a new level. This is no longer about ideological differences in foreign or domestic policy, but about the legitimacy of the decisions themselves, that is, about the threat to the system of checks and balances. Finally, the accusations against Obama give the Trump administration a convenient excuse to put pressure on law enforcement and judicial structures. By casting doubt on the competence and integrity of the intelligence services, the White House gets an excuse for personnel changes and increased control over key institutions.

This would be very useful for the Republican administration against the background of the new election cycle — the midterm congressional elections will be held as early as 2026. The accusations allow the Reds to turn Obama into a political symbol of the "establishment's lies," destroy the idea of the Democratic Party's moral purity, and expose its leaders — from Clinton to Biden — as participants in a long-running campaign to deceive the American people. Politically, this gives Trump an important bonus: the accusation of "collusion with Russia" no longer works against him — on the contrary, he becomes a "victim of the conspiracy of the Democrats."