Anna Hartz
Trump and Gabbard Escalate Fight Over 2016 Election and Russia Claims
Politics in Washington often runs on old grudges. Few arguments have lingered as long as the one over Russian interference in the 2016 election.
That fight came roaring back this week after a dramatic move from the top of the intelligence community.
Trump’s Requests
On Tuesday, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she had revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials, according to Ziare.
She said the decision came at the request of President Donald Trump. Gabbard accused those affected of “politicizing and manipulating intelligence” for years.
She posted on X that intelligence agencies have been weaponized for political purposes.
Her claim is not new. Last month the Justice Department created a task force to examine her accusations.
The decision ties back to the debate over the 2016 election. Trump has long argued that former President Barack Obama’s officials tried to falsely connect him to Russia.
He even accused them of criminal conduct. An Obama spokesperson rejected the claims.
He called them “ridiculous” and said they were nothing more than an attempt to distract from real issues.
Gabbard went further. She accused senior Obama-era officials of a “treasonous conspiracy” against Trump during the 2016 campaign.
Russia’s Role in the 2017 Election
Democrats dismissed her allegations as politically motivated and without basis. Trump won that election despite months of controversy over Russia’s role.
In January 2017, the U.S. intelligence community released its official assessment. It concluded that Russia used hacking, online disinformation, and bot networks to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign and help Trump.
The report said Russia’s efforts were real but likely had little effect on the outcome. There was no evidence the vote count itself was changed. Russia has denied interfering.
Now, the latest step from Gabbard adds fresh fuel to an old fire. By stripping clearances from dozens of officials, she has taken a rare and aggressive step.
The move is likely to deepen political divisions rather than close them.
What happens next depends on whether Trump and Gabbard push for further investigations or leave this as a symbolic strike in a long-running war of words.
