Trump Uses Accusations Against Obama to Deflect Attention From Epstein Case

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his accusations on Tuesday against former Democratic President Barack Obama, whom he claims was the "leader of a conspiracy" targeting him, in what analysts see as an attempt to deflect attention from the ongoing controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case.

When asked about the renewed scrutiny over the alleged "client list" Epstein purportedly used to blackmail prominent figures, as well as an upcoming deposition of Epstein’s imprisoned associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump claimed he was not closely following the case.

"The real witch hunt people should be talking about is how President Obama got caught off guard," Trump said during an extended commentary on the subject while meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office.

Trump referenced an investigation revealed by his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who last week called for the prosecution of several Obama administration officials over allegations that they conspired to delegitimize Trump’s victory in the 2016 election.

"They tried to manipulate the election, they got caught, and there should be very serious consequences. It is time to go after the people responsible. Obama was caught directly. People say, ‘Oh, you know, it’s a group of people.’ It’s not a group, it’s Obama. His orders are documented. The papers are signed," Trump claimed.

The Republican leader alleged that the supposed conspirators believed they could shield themselves from exposure by classifying all documents as "highly classified."

"Well, that ‘highly classified’ information has now been made public, and what they did in 2016 and again in 2020 is very criminal," he said, repeating baseless allegations that the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, was rigged.

Trump said that Gabbard may soon declassify "thousands of additional documents" related to the alleged conspiracy.

Intelligence agencies under Trump’s own administration have accused former Obama-era officials of leaking false claims to media outlets, including The Washington Post, suggesting that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election through cyber operations.

Trump also directed attacks at his 2016 opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, and President Joe Biden.

The president has continued promoting these claims through multiple posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he sparked further controversy by sharing an artificially generated video depicting Obama being arrested in the Oval Office. The video is fabricated and has been widely discredited.

Despite his provocative statements, Trump has failed to quell discontent among members of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, his most fervent supporters, following the FBI’s conclusion that no such client list exists and that Epstein died by suicide.

MAGA followers have demanded the release of all evidence against Epstein, as Trump had previously pledged during his campaign to expose the truth if re-elected.

The controversy was reignited last week after The Wall Street Journal published what it described as an "obscene" letter allegedly sent by Trump to Epstein during their years of friendship, a claim the president has vehemently denied, calling the letter "fake."