The US Department of Justice on Wednesday released a statemet announcing the formation of a special “Strike Force” to review allegations stemming from a newly declassified report by Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, which claims the intelligence community was “weaponized” in 2016 to target then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. The statemet came just hours after a Wall Street Journal Report claimed that United States Attorney General Pam Bondi had told Trump that his name is on the Epstein list.
DOJ Strike Force To Examine Barack Obama
The DOJ said the strike force will examine the evidence highlighted by Gabbard and evaluate potential legal actions.
Justice Department Announces Formation of Strike Force to Assess Evidence Publicized by ODNI
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— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) July 23, 2025
“This Department takes alleged weaponization of the intelligence community with the utmost seriousness,” the agency stated in its announcement.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi, who is leading the initiative, said, “The Department of Justice is proud to work with my friend Director Gabbard and we are grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American people. We will investigate these troubling disclosures fully and leave no stone unturned to deliver justice.”
What Tulsi Gabbard Claimed About Barack In Her Report?
DNI Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday declassified a previously classified House Intelligence Committee report, which she said reveals a “treasonous conspiracy” to undermine the 2016 presidential election results.
Speaking at the White House alongside White House Press Secretary, Gabbard said the document uncovers “egregious weaponisation and politicisation of intelligence.” According to her, the intelligence community knowingly advanced a false narrative that Russia interfered in the election to benefit Trump.
The report, prepared by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee and dated September 18, 2020, disputes the widely accepted conclusion of agencies like the CIA that Russia sought to help Trump during the election. It was declassified one day after former President Trump accused former President Barack Obama of orchestrating an effort to falsely connect him to Russia.
Barack Obama’s Office Responds
As the accusations grew, a spokesperson for Barack Obama said Tuesday: “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”
Patrick Rodenbush, another spokesperson for Obama, added that none of the released documents undercut “the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.”
Gabbard claimed at the White House press briefing that the newly released material, along with another document made public last Friday, provides “irrefutable evidence” that Obama and other officials “directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment they knew was false.”
Is Donald Trump Trying To Evade Epstein Case By Targetting Barack Obama?
Democrats swiftly dismissed the allegations, calling them a distraction from growing pressure on the Trump administration to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
“It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files,” said Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) echoed that sentiment, stating, “I think they do not want to talk about Jeffrey Epstein. They fed into this conspiracy theory and now they want to run away from it.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also condemned the focus on Obama, saying: “They (Republicans) can’t even get their act together as it relates to releasing the Epstein files… When you have nothing to present that’s affirmative to the American people, Republicans blame Barack Obama. It’s laughable.”
Also Read: Donald Trump’s Name Is In Epstein Files, Report Says; White House Calls It ‘Fake News’
