Director of National Intelligence Targets Obama Administration’s Narrative with Declassified Files

Washington, D.C. – Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced today that her office will release additional declassified documents on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, aimed at countering statements made by former President Barack Obama regarding the Trump-Russia collusion allegations tied to the 2016 presidential election. The move escalates an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to challenge the narrative surrounding Russia’s alleged interference in the election that brought Donald Trump to the White House.

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman turned Republican ally, has been vocal in her claims that Obama-era officials manipulated intelligence to suggest Russian involvement in Trump’s 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. In a series of posts on X and interviews with conservative media outlets, Gabbard described the forthcoming documents as critical evidence that will “refute” Obama’s recent statements defending the intelligence community’s 2017 assessment. That assessment concluded that Russia engaged in a concerted effort to influence the 2016 election through cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.

“The documents we are releasing will directly challenge the narrative pushed by the Obama administration,” Gabbard stated on Tuesday, July 22, during an appearance on Fox News. “This is about ensuring the American people know the truth about what happened in 2016 and holding those accountable who sought to undermine a duly elected president.”

The announcement follows Gabbard’s release last week of over 100 pages of declassified files, which she claimed exposed a “treasonous conspiracy” by Obama administration officials, including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former FBI Director James Comey. These documents, according to Gabbard, suggest that pre-election intelligence assessments found no evidence of Russian intent to manipulate the election, contradicting post-election reports that fueled the Trump-Russia investigation.

Democrats and intelligence community veterans have sharply criticized Gabbard’s actions, accusing her of politicizing her role as Director of National Intelligence to serve President Trump’s agenda. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the allegations “baseless” and warned that Gabbard’s rhetoric risks eroding trust in the intelligence community. “No legitimate investigation, including a bipartisan Senate report, found evidence to support these claims,” Himes said.

A 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report, led by then-Senator Marco Rubio, concluded that Russia waged an aggressive campaign to influence the 2016 election in Trump’s favor, though it found no evidence of direct collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. This bipartisan finding, along with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, has been cited by critics as evidence that undermines Gabbard’s narrative.

Gabbard’s latest move has also sparked speculation about its timing, with some Democrats suggesting it is an attempt to divert attention from controversies surrounding President Trump, including recent scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. “This is a distraction from the real issues facing this administration,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Supporters of Gabbard and Trump, however, have hailed the document releases as a step toward exposing what they call a “deep state” effort to delegitimize Trump’s presidency. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) praised Gabbard’s actions, posting on X, “DISMANTLING THE DEEP STATE!”

The Department of Justice confirmed it received a criminal referral from Gabbard’s office related to last week’s document release but declined to comment further. It remains unclear whether the new documents will lead to additional referrals or investigations.

As Gabbard prepares to unveil the new files, the intelligence community and political observers brace for another chapter in the contentious debate over the 2016 election. The release is expected to intensify partisan divisions, with both sides digging in over the legacy of the Trump-Russia probe.