Trump Calls for Obama’s Arrest, Accuses Him of “Treason” Over 2016 Election

In a fiery moment during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump reignited old battles, this time calling for the arrest of former President Barack Obama.

“They tried to steal the election,” Trump said, referring to the 2016 presidential race. “The leader of the gang was President Obama, Barack Hussein Obama. He’s guilty. This was treason.”

It’s the latest, and most direct, accusation yet in Trump’s long-running narrative that paints the Obama administration as the mastermind behind what he calls a “coup” to undermine him.

Trump has repeatedly denied claims that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help him win. At the time, Obama responded by expelling Russian diplomats and hitting Moscow with sanctions. A 2019 special counsel report later said there wasn’t enough evidence to prove Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia.

Trump isn’t having it. He continues to claim that Obama and his national security team manipulated intelligence to justify what he’s calling a politically motivated takedown

Backing Trump up is his new Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who released a statement just days before the Oval Office remarks. In it, she accused Obama and his senior officials of running a “years-long coup” against Trump.

“They manufactured and politicised intelligence,” Gabbard claimed. “Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people.”

She has called on the Justice Department to bring charges, calling the entire Russia investigation a “treasonous conspiracy.

Critics warn the president is using the power of his office to punish political enemies. Supporters say he’s finally delivering justice.

With input from Al Jazeera