US President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of “treason” in the Oval Office yesterday, July 22, 2025, during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Trump, without providing specific evidence, claimed Obama led an effort to falsely tie him to Russia and undermine his 2016 presidential campaign. He further stated, “They have him stone cold. And it was President Obama. Barack Hussein Obama, he’s guilty. It’s not a question. This was treason”. 

This accusation is reportedly linked to a recent report by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who claims it undermines a 2017 assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to favor Trump. Gabbard has declassified documents that she alleges reveal a “treasonous conspiracy” by former Obama administration officials, claims that have been dismissed as false and politically motivated by Democrats. Previous investigations, including a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report, have concluded that Russia did attempt to interfere in the 2016 election to favor Trump. 

Obama’s office responded with a rare statement, calling Trump’s claims “outrageous,” “bizarre,” and a “weak attempt at distraction”. Spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush noted that while Obama’s office usually doesn’t respond to “constant nonsense and misinformation,” these claims warranted a response due to their extreme nature. Rodenbush also stated that the documents released by Gabbard do not invalidate the conclusion that Russia tried to influence the 2016 election, although they didn’t successfully manipulate votes. 

Regarding the possibility of an arrest, while election interference has been established as an offense for former presidents, legal experts have expressed skepticism about the potential for Obama’s arrest based on these allegations. However, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has stated she has submitted a criminal referral to the Department of Justice regarding charges against Barack Obama. 

It’s important to note the legal definition of “treason” in the US Constitution, which involves levying war against the US or aiding its enemies. Treason is punishable by death. While election interference has led to convictions in other cases, Trump’s accusations against Obama remain unsubstantiated by evidence and have been called baseless by Obama’s office.