Former U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of political adversaries over claims of a concerted effort to undermine his 2016 election victory and presidency, calling the alleged conspiracy the “biggest scandal in American history.” In a Friday interview with Newsmax, Trump pointed to newly declassified documents tied to Special Counsel John Durham’s 2023 investigation, which he claims validate long-standing assertions that Hillary Clinton’s campaign and senior Obama administration officials orchestrated a “totally fake” narrative linking him to Russia.
Trump asserted that the materials, recently released by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), implicate former President Barack Obama in greenlighting what he described as a fabricated collusion scheme. “[Obama] knew about it. We have it cold. [Durham] has it in writing,” Trump said, adding that Obama not only “approved” Clinton’s alleged actions but actively “pushed” them. The former president framed the effort as a politically motivated attack that damaged national unity and targeted individuals caught in the crossfire.
The Durham report’s annex, which remains a focal point of partisan debate, suggests coordination between Clinton’s 2016 campaign and Obama-era intelligence officials to advance allegations of Trump-Russia connections. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s decision to declassify related documents has further fueled claims that Clinton allies, alongside organizations linked to billionaire George Soros, allegedly pressured the FBI to bolster the narrative.
Trump, who has repeatedly dismissed the years-long federal Russia investigation as a “hoax,” contrasted his post-2016 election stance with the legal scrutiny he later faced. Despite urging supporters to “lock her up” during his campaign, he stated he opted against pursuing charges against Clinton after winning the presidency. “I had her right under the sights, and I told the people, ‘Look, you can’t do this to an ex-president’s wife,’” he said. That reluctance, he argued, was met with reciprocal efforts to undermine his own administration, but with “the difference [being] they meant it.”
While Trump called for accountability, he distanced himself from potential legal decisions, stating Attorney General Pam Bondi would oversee any indictments. Bondi, a longtime ally, has not publicly addressed the matter. The remarks come amid heightened political tensions as Trump positions himself for a 2024 White House bid, reviving debates over accountability for high-profile investigations.
Critics of the Durham report have questioned its conclusiveness, noting it did not lead to major prosecutions related to the Trump-Russia inquiry. Independent fact-checkers have also disputed claims of Obama’s direct involvement, citing a lack of publicly available evidence. Neither Clinton nor Obama has responded to Trump’s latest allegations.
The declassified materials have reignited discussions about the role of intelligence agencies in electoral politics, with Trump framing the episode as a cautionary tale of institutional overreach. As legal and political analysts parse the documents’ implications, the controversy underscores enduring divisions over accountability, legitimacy, and the intersection of law enforcement with partisan rivalries in U.S. democracy.
