In a continuation of his recent attacks on former President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump declared this week that Obama “owes [him] big,” citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling granting presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts. The ruling played a crucial role in Trump’s own legal battles related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
“He owes me—Obama owes me big,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on July 25 before departing for a trip to Scotland.
Trump’s latest remarks follow repeated claims that Obama committed “treason,” specifically regarding the origins of the Russia investigation during Trump’s first presidential campaign. Trump suggested that the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity now offers Obama protection from legal consequences.
“It probably helps him a lot—the immunity ruling,” Trump said.
Gabbard’s Allegations and DOJ Response
Fueling Trump’s allegations, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard held a press briefing in which she claimed the Obama administration promoted a “contrived narrative” about Russian interference in the 2016 election to damage Trump politically. Gabbard also released declassified documents she claimed support her theory of a “treasonous conspiracy” orchestrated by Obama.
In response, the Department of Justice announced the creation of a specialized “Strike Force” to investigate legal avenues stemming from Gabbard’s disclosures.
Contradictory Intelligence Assessments
Despite these claims, past investigations by the U.S. intelligence community and bipartisan lawmakers contradict Gabbard’s narrative. The final 2019 report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and a comprehensive 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded that Russia did attempt to influence the 2016 election in favor of Trump, though they found no evidence that votes were altered.
Obama’s office issued a rare public statement on July 22 in response to Gabbard and Trump’s comments.
“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,” the statement read.
“These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.”
DOJ Memo on Epstein Adds to Tensions
Trump’s renewed focus on Obama comes amid criticism of his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. A memo released by the Department of Justice on July 7 concluded that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 and stated that investigators found no “client list,” a development that has disappointed conspiracy theorists and renewed scrutiny of Trump’s ties to Epstein.
Critics, including Obama’s team, have suggested Trump’s attacks are an attempt to distract from his administration’s failures and legal troubles.
“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” Obama’s office said.
“But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.”
As Trump continues to intertwine his legal narrative with attacks on his predecessor, the controversy surrounding the Epstein investigation and past election interference claims continues to dominate political discourse heading into the 2026 election cycle.
