Fact Check: Tulsi Gabard accusing Obama of treason is hilarious given that she was literally exposed as being a foreign asset.

Fact-Check: Tulsi Gabbard Accusing Obama of Treason

What We Know

Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, recently made headlines by accusing former President Barack Obama and his administration of engaging in a "treasonous conspiracy" to undermine President Donald Trump during the 2016 election. Gabbard claims that Obama and his national security team manipulated intelligence assessments to create a narrative that Russia interfered in the election to support Trump, which she argues was a politically motivated effort to delegitimize his presidency (DNI Press Release).

Gabbard's assertions are based on her interpretation of intelligence assessments from late 2016 and early 2017, which she argues were contradictory. She claims that earlier assessments indicated Russia did not use cyber means to alter the election outcome, while later assessments suggested that Russia conducted an influence campaign to support Trump (New York Times).

Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and intelligence officials, have labeled Gabbard's claims as "baseless" and politically motivated, asserting that the intelligence community's assessments have consistently indicated that while Russia did not change votes, they did attempt to influence the election through various means (FactCheck.org, NBC News).

Analysis

Gabbard's claims hinge on the interpretation of intelligence assessments regarding Russian interference. She argues that the Obama administration's narrative was fabricated to harm Trump, which she labels as treason. However, this interpretation is contested. Critics point out that the intelligence community has consistently maintained that while there was no evidence of vote manipulation, there were significant efforts by Russia to influence public opinion and sow discord in the U.S. political landscape (Politifact, CNN).

The reliability of Gabbard's sources and claims is questionable. Many of her assertions have been met with skepticism from established media outlets and political analysts, who argue that her narrative is overly simplistic and ignores the complexities of the intelligence assessments (FactCheck.org, Politico). Furthermore, the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee and the Mueller investigation both corroborated the findings of Russian interference, which undermines Gabbard's assertion that the intelligence was manipulated for political gain (NBC News, CNN).

While Gabbard's position as DNI lends her statements some authority, the political context in which she operates raises concerns about potential bias. Her accusations have been embraced by some factions within the Republican Party, suggesting that her claims may serve a political agenda rather than an objective analysis of the facts (FactCheck.org, Politico).

Conclusion

The claim that Tulsi Gabbard's accusation of Obama being treasonous is "hilarious" due to her being labeled a foreign asset is Partially True. While Gabbard's accusations are indeed controversial and have been met with significant pushback, they are rooted in her interpretation of intelligence assessments that have been contested. The characterization of her as a "foreign asset" is not substantiated by credible evidence in the provided sources. Thus, while her claims may be politically motivated and lack broad support, they are not entirely without basis in her perspective on the intelligence community's actions during the 2016 election.

Sources

1. New Evidence of Obama Administration Conspiracy to Subvert ...
2. Gabbard Claims Obama Administration Tried to Undermine ...
3. Gabbard's Misleading 'Coup' Claim
4. Tulsi Gabbard's 'treason' allegation triggers a high-wire act ...
5. Fact-checking three of Tulsi Gabbard’s attacks on Obama about ...
6. Gabbard releases more Russia documents to accuse ...
7. Gabbard threatens prosecution against Obama ...
8. Tulsi Gabbard Accuses Barack Obama of Treasonous ...