Gabbard Swipes at Obama's Response to Her MAGA Conspiracy
On July 17, Gabbard released a report alleging that Obama and his top national security officials conspired to 'manipulate' intelligence to link Trump to Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, calling for him and other officials to be prosecuted. Through a spokesperson, Obama issued a rare response dismissing her claims as 'a weak attempt at distraction' from the Jeffrey Epstein story.
Gabbard went on the offensive on Fox & Friends.
'President Obama's very carefully worded response that came from his office, again, deflects away from addressing any of the truth that was revealed,' Gabbard said Saturday. 'They would have to admit and actually address the details of their complicity in this or their absolute failure in conducting the most basic responsibilities of, again, asking, where is this intelligence coming from?'
Gabbard's allegations come as the president's supporters have revolted over a July 6 report from the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) finding that discraced financier Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019, rather than being murdered, and that no 'client list' of wealthy co-conspirators exists—conspiracies Trump has promoted and now fallen victim to.
Obama's spokesperson, Patrick Rodenbush, said last week that the claims represented the 'constant nonsense and misinformation' that stemmed from the Trump administration.
'The bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction. Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,' he said. 'These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.'
Rodenbush declined to comment on Gabbard's latest retort.
Gabbard has described the Obama administration's intelligence findings as 'seditious' and 'treasonous,' releasing documents that she said prove Russia did not interfere with the 2016 election and that Obama officials relied too heavily on a dossier outlining Trump's ties to Russia.
The Obama administration—and the first Trump administration—did not claim Russia changed any votes in 2016 but instead launched an influence campaign designed to sway voters to support Trump.
Still, Gabbard has urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and charge government officials such as former FBI Director James Comey, former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, and Obama himself.
Trump has urged reporters to investigate Gabbard's claims and amplified the case on Truth Social, sharing a nearly nine-minute segment on Saturday from Mark Levin's Fox News show that attacked Obama.
Meanwhile, as the Epstein saga continued to consume his administration, Trump has deflected questions and told reporters on Friday to look at other friends of Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
8 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Modi and Trump once called each other good friends. Now the US-India relationship is getting bumpy
NEW DELHI (AP) — The men shared bear hugs, showered praise on each other and made appearances side by side at stadium rallies — a big optics boost for two populist leaders with ideological similarities. Each called the other a good friend. In India, the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump was seen as a relationship like no other. That is, until a series of events gummed up the works. From Trump's tariffs and India's purchase of oil from Russia to a U.S. tilt towards Pakistan, friction between New Delhi and Washington has been hard to miss. And much of it has happened far from the corridors of power and, unsurprisingly, through Trump's posts on social media. It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk. 'This is a testing time for the relationship,' said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Foreign Ministry. Simmering tensions over trade and tariffs The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India's economy 'dead.' Trump's recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, according to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations. Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of oil from Russia and then 'selling it on the Open Market for big profits.' 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,' he said. The messaging appears to have stung Modi's administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump's team over a trade deal by balancing between India's protectionist system while also opening up the country's market to more American goods. Many expected India to react strongly considering Modi's carefully crafted reputation of strength. Instead, the announcement prompted a rather careful response from India's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who said the two countries are working towards a 'fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.' India's Foreign Ministry also played down suggestions of any strain. However, experts in New Delhi wonder. 'Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,' said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm . Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the 'most expansive in this country's history,' referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers' protest a few years ago. Trump appears to be tilting towards Pakistan The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but the tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India's nuclear rival in the neighborhood. In May, India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. Pakistan denied the accusations. The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened. But it was Trump's claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a 'solution' regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi's administration uneasy. Since then, Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan. For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy — territory. Domestically, he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country. So Trump's claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner. India insists that Kashmir is India's internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump's claims after India's Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that 'no country in the world stopped' the fighting between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump. Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts. Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a 'massive' oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad. Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan's top military officials at a private lunch. Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi's Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump's sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has 'definitely soured' the mood in India. Chaulia said 'the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,' but he also warned that 'if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.' India's oil purchases from Russia are an irritant The strain in relations has also to do with oil. India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China. Trump's threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues. On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was 'not acceptable.'
Boston Globe
8 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Modi and Trump once called each other good friends. Now the US-India relationship is getting bumpy.
From Trump's tariffs and India's purchase of oil from Russia to a U.S. tilt towards Pakistan, friction between New Delhi and Washington has been hard to miss. And much of it has happened far from the corridors of power and, unsurprisingly, through Trump's posts on social media. Advertisement It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'This is a testing time for the relationship,' said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India's Foreign Ministry. The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Simmering tensions over trade and tariffs The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India's economy 'dead.' Advertisement Trump's recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, according to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations. Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying 'massive amounts' of oil from Russia and then 'selling it on the Open Market for big profits.' 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,' he said. The messaging appears to have stung Modi's administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump's team over a trade deal by balancing between India's protectionist system while also opening up the country's market to more American goods. Many expected India to react strongly considering Modi's carefully crafted reputation of strength. Instead, the announcement prompted a rather careful response from India's commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who said the two countries are working towards a 'fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.' India's Foreign Ministry also played down suggestions of any strain. However, experts in New Delhi wonder. 'Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,' said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm . Advertisement Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the 'most expansive in this country's history,' referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers' protest a few years ago. Trump appears to be tilting towards Pakistan The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but the tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India's nuclear rival in the neighborhood. In May, India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. Pakistan denied the accusations. The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened. But it was Trump's claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a 'solution' regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi's administration uneasy. Since then, Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan. For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy — territory. Domestically, he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country. So Trump's claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner. India insists that Kashmir is India's internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump's claims after India's Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that 'no country in the world stopped' the fighting between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump. Advertisement Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts. Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a 'massive' oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad. Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan's top military officials at a private lunch. Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi's Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump's sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has 'definitely soured' the mood in India. Chaulia said 'the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,' but he also warned that 'if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.' India's oil purchases from Russia are an irritant The strain in relations has also to do with oil. India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China. Trump's threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues. On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was 'not acceptable.' Advertisement Some experts, though, suspect Trump's remarks are mere pressure tactics. 'Given the wild fluctuations in Trump's policies,' Chaulia said, 'it may return to high fives and hugs again.' Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed reporting.
Newsweek
9 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Fake Police Scam Targets Chinese International Students, FBI Warns
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. International students from China studying in the United States have faced an uptick in scams involving criminal actors impersonating Chinese law enforcement officials, according to a warning from the FBI Philadelphia Field Office on Monday. Why It Matters Since 2022, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office said it has observed a growing trend in which alleged criminal actors impersonate Chinese police officers. These individuals tell victims they are under investigation for an alleged financial crime in China and must pay to avoid arrest. The government impersonation targets the U.S.-based Chinese community, particularly Chinese students attending colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area, according to the FBI field office. "These scams inflict more than just financial harm—many victims endure lasting emotional and psychological distress," Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office, said in a statement. What To Know Investigators said the scam typically unfolds over four stages. First, the alleged criminal actors call victims from a number that appears to be associated with a mobile phone service provider, a large retailer, a delivery service or the Chinese Embassy/Consulate. The callers allegedly tell victims that their information is either linked to a subject or a victim of a financial fraud investigation. The call is then transferred and an alleged criminal actor posing as a police officer provides details of the alleged financial crime. Victims may be pressured to return to China to stand trial or threaten them with arrest, according to the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. The caller will allegedly direct the victim to consent to 24/7 video and audio monitoring, citing the alleged sensitivity of the investigation, a need to prove innocence or both. Investigators said victims are told not to discuss the case, not to search the internet and to report all daily activities. Finally, the criminal actors instruct victims to wire a large sum of money to a Chinese bank account to prove their innocence or to post bail and avoid returning to China, according to the field office. "We are actively engaging with the public, academic institutions, and our law enforcement partners to identify and support those impacted by this scheme," Jacobs said. The FBI Washington Field Office reported a similar scam in May 2024. The FBI field office said criminals pose as law enforcement officials from China, tell victims they are the subjects of criminal investigations and convince them to pay to avoid arrest or deportation. The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is seen. The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is seen. FBI Philadelphia Field Office What People Are Saying Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office, in a statement: "If you or someone you know has been affected, we urge you to contact our office. Every day, we remain committed to holding these criminals accountable, delivering justice for the victims, and connecting those harmed with the resources they need to recover." David Sundberg, assistant director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, in a statement in 2024: "These fraudsters pose as Chinese investigators to intimidate their victims and then prey on their victims' fear to steal their money. The scam is so convincing because it consists of multiple layers and perpetrators. We hope to educate Chinese communities about this threat to empower victims to file reports." What Happens Next? The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is encouraging victims of this scheme to report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at or at their local FBI Field Office. The FBI Philadelphia Field Office can be reached at 215-418-4000. The FBI Philadelphia Field Office recommends that victims notify their payment service provider used for the financial transaction and ask the provider to stop or reverse the transaction immediately. The field office also recommends asking the provider to contact the financial institution where the funds were sent. College students who are impacted by this scheme should also report the activity to their campus security or public safety office to increase awareness among the student population. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
