President Trump rehashed longstanding grievances over the Russia investigation that shadowed much of his first term, lashing out Tuesday following a new report from his intelligence director aimed at casting doubt on long-established findings about Moscow's interference in the 2016 election, the AP reports. "It's time to go after people," Trump said from the Oval Office as he repeated a baseless claim that former President Obama and other officials had engaged in treason.
Trump was not making his claims for the first time, but he delivered them when administration officials are harnessing the machinery of the federal government to investigate the targets of Trump's derision, including key officials responsible for scrutinizing Russia's attempts to intervene on Trump's behalf in 2016. Trump's attack prompted a rare response from Obama's post-presidential office. "Our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response," said Patrick Rodenbush, an Obama spokesman. "But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction."
Besides Obama, Trump on Tuesday rattled off a list of people he accused of acting criminally "at the highest level," including Comey, his 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, and former national intelligence director James Clapper. He accused Obama, without evidence, of being the "ringleader" of a conspiracy to get him. Obama has never been accused of any wrongdoing as part of the Russia investigation. Trump launched his tirade in what appeared to be a deflection when asked about the Justice Department's effort to speak with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Epstein, who was convicted of helping the financier sexually abuse underage girls. "I don't really follow that too much," he said. "It's sort of a witch hunt, a continuation of the witch hunt."
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