Fact-Check: President Trump's Claim About DNI Tulsi Gabbard's Files
What We Know
Recently, President Trump claimed that Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard possesses "thousands more damaging files" related to the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory from the 2016 election, allegedly involving former President Obama. Gabbard, in a press release, asserted that she had uncovered evidence of a conspiracy by the Obama administration to undermine Trump’s presidency through the manipulation of intelligence assessments regarding Russian interference in the election (ODNI Press Release).
Gabbard's claims are based on newly declassified documents, including emails and a House report, which she argues demonstrate that the intelligence community's assessments were politicized to delegitimize Trump's election victory (AP News). She stated that the Obama administration's narrative about Russian interference was based on falsehoods and that the intelligence community had initially assessed that Russia did not intend to influence the election outcome (New York Times).
However, multiple investigations, including those by Republican-led congressional committees, have concluded that Russia did indeed interfere in the 2016 election, primarily through social media manipulation and hacking of Democratic emails (CBS News). These investigations did not support Gabbard's assertion that the intelligence community's assessments were entirely fabricated or politically motivated.
Analysis
The claim that Gabbard has "thousands more damaging files" is not substantiated by the evidence presented. While Gabbard has released documents that she claims support her narrative, the broader context provided by independent investigations contradicts her assertions. For instance, the intelligence community's consensus, as affirmed by various investigations, is that Russia sought to interfere in the election to sow discord and undermine trust in the democratic process, rather than specifically to aid Trump (WION News, The Hill).
The credibility of Gabbard's sources is also questionable. The documents she released include emails that do not support her claims of a significant shift in the intelligence community's assessments regarding Russian interference. In fact, the assessments made public in January 2017 reiterated that while there was no evidence of tampering with vote counts, Russia did engage in activities aimed at influencing public opinion (Politico).
Additionally, while Gabbard cites dissent within the intelligence community as evidence of a conspiracy, such dissent is not unusual in intelligence assessments and does not equate to a coordinated effort to undermine Trump (AP News). The investigations led by Congress and the Justice Department have consistently found that Russian interference was a real and documented event, undermining Gabbard's claims of a fabricated narrative.
Conclusion
The claim that President Trump made regarding DNI Tulsi Gabbard possessing "thousands more damaging files" is Partially True. While Gabbard has indeed released documents and made assertions about a conspiracy involving the Obama administration, the evidence does not support the extent of her claims. The investigations into Russian interference have concluded that such interference occurred, and while there may be discussions about the motivations behind intelligence assessments, the foundational claim of Russian interference remains supported by substantial evidence. Thus, while there are elements of truth in Gabbard's statements, they are significantly overstated and lack comprehensive support from the broader investigative context.
Sources
- New Evidence of Obama Administration Conspiracy to Subvert ...
- Gabbard claim of anti-Trump conspiracy not backed by ...
- Gabbard Releases New Documents Targeting Obama Administration ...
- Trump's intel chief Tulsi Gabbard reignites political battles ...
- Tulsi Gabbard's declassified Trump-Russia documents- Here's ...
- Gabbard releases 2020 House report on 2016 election interference
- Gabbard declassifies new docs in latest push to cast doubt on ...
