Former President Barack Obama issued a rare public statement Tuesday night, rejecting what he called President Donald Trump’s “bizarre allegations” that Obama orchestrated the Trump–Russia collusion probe.

The statement came after Trump publicly demanded a criminal investigation into Obama, citing newly declassified documents released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. These documents allegedly point to Obama-era officials manipulating intelligence to justify the investigation.

Trump claimed that Obama acted as the “ringleader” in a coordinated effort to fabricate the collusion narrative. In response, Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush dismissed the claims as “outrageous,” calling them a “weak attempt at distraction.” He emphasized that the allegations were baseless and unworthy of a serious response but warranted rebuttal due to their severity and public attention.

Rodenbush cited bipartisan findings, including a 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report led by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, which concluded that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election. However, the report also noted that no votes were altered or manipulated. This, Rodenbush argued, affirmed the legitimacy of concerns over Russian interference, despite Trump’s claims.

The newly declassified documents allege that top Obama-era officials—among them Obama, Joe Biden, John Brennan, James Clapper, and Susan Rice—“manufactured and politicized” intelligence reports. Gabbard said this manipulation was aimed at launching and sustaining the Trump–Russia investigation. She has since submitted a criminal referral to the Department of Justice based on the findings.

During a meeting on Tuesday, Trump reiterated his accusations, blaming Obama directly and linking the Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign and DNC, to the origins of the investigation. He called the dossier “fabricated” and “fraudulent,” insisting it was the foundation for a politically motivated attack.