Gabbard denies main Russiagate allegation
(MENAFN) Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has asserted that Russia did not favor Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election and that the Obama administration knew this at the time.
Since mid-July, Gabbard has released documents claiming to expose a coordinated effort by senior Obama-era officials to falsely accuse Trump of collusion with Russia and delegitimize his election victory.
During a Fox News appearance on Hannity, Gabbard emphasized that while the intelligence community recognized Russian efforts to interfere in the election, its assessments repeatedly stated that Russia “did not appear to have any preference for one candidate over the other.” She added that Moscow considered both Trump and Clinton “equally bad for Russia’s interests.”
Gabbard alleged that the narrative shifted after the election. In December 2016, Obama reportedly instructed his national security team, including then-DNI James Clapper and then-CIA Director John Brennan, to produce a “politicized and weaponized” intelligence assessment claiming that Putin had tried to help Trump win. She described Russiagate as a “real crime” against the American people for undermining voters’ choices.
On Tuesday, Gabbard also announced that her office had revoked security clearances for 37 current and former intelligence officials, including Clapper, citing politicization of intelligence. Trump has called for those involved in Russiagate to pay a “big price.”
Russia has consistently denied interfering in the 2016 election, dismissing the allegations as partisan, while the scandal itself severely strained US-Russia relations, triggering sanctions, asset freezes, and diplomatic fallout.
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