• President Trump calls for former President Barack Obama’s arrest, accusing him of orchestrating coup attempt
• Post comes day after FBI seized 700 boxes of 2020 election records from Fulton County, Georgia
• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard submits criminal referral claiming Obama manufactured intelligence

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — President Donald Trump called Thursday for the arrest of former President Barack Obama, accusing his predecessor of orchestrating a “coup attempt” during the 2016 election in an explosive Truth Social post that represents an unprecedented escalation in attacks on a former commander-in-chief.

The demand came one day after the FBI executed a dramatic search warrant at the Fulton County Elections Hub in Georgia, seizing original 2020 voting records in what county officials described as an act of “intimidation and distraction” designed to undermine confidence in American elections.

“BREAKING: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has just released HUNDREDS OF BOMBSHELL RUSSIAGATE DOCUMENTS proving that Barack Obama personally ordered CIA agents to manufacture false intelligence on President Trump,” Trump’s post read, according to reports. “ARREST OBAMA NOW!”

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The president’s call for Obama’s arrest marks a dramatic intensification of long-standing allegations that the Obama administration improperly investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election. While Trump has made similar claims throughout his political career, the current environment—with Trump wielding full presidential power and institutional support—represents what constitutional experts describe as an unprecedented challenge to democratic norms.

Gabbard Submits Criminal Referral Against Obama

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she has submitted a criminal referral to the Department of Justice seeking charges against Obama, claiming the former president led a “treasonous conspiracy” to mislead the public about Russia’s role in the 2016 election.

“President Obama and his national security cabinet members manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump,” Gabbard alleged in a DNI press release.

Gabbard’s announcement followed Fox News reporting that the FBI is investigating former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan for possible false statements to Congress. Current CIA Director John Ratcliffe released a review criticizing a 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that concluded Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election to help Trump.

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White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller amplified Gabbard’s claims, writing on social media that she “exposed the startling depths of a seditious coup against the Republic.”

“The forces behind this coup have done and will do anything to protect their grasp on illegal & illegitimate power,” Miller posted. “Do not underestimate their capabilities or depravities. But WE are stronger.”

Republican lawmakers rallied to support the allegations. Senator Mike Lee of Utah declared that “the Russiagate hoax was a far more effective attack on our republic & our elections than any foreign adversary could have managed.”

Obama Office Condemns “Bizarre” Allegations

The Obama office issued a rare statement strongly rejecting Trump’s accusations as a “weak attempt at distraction” from current controversies facing the administration.

“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” the statement read. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”

The statement came after Trump and Michelle Obama issued public criticism of the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minnesota.

“It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault,” the Obamas wrote, criticizing what they described as “unprecedented tactics” employed by the Department of Homeland Security.

Former Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton also issued statements warning Americans about protecting civil liberties in the wake of the Minnesota shooting, creating a stark contrast with Trump’s focus on conspiracy theories and political attacks.

FBI Seizes 700 Boxes From Fulton County

The Trump administration’s escalation against Obama came as the FBI executed a search warrant Wednesday at Fulton County’s elections facility, seizing approximately 700 boxes of materials including all physical ballots from the 2020 general election, tabulator tapes from voting machines, and complete voter rolls.

The warrant, signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine Salinas, authorized seizure of materials that “constitutes evidence of the commission of a criminal offense,” specifically citing possible violations related to retention of election records and voter intimidation or false voter registration.

FBI Director Kash Patel defended the raid Thursday, telling “The Charlie Kirk Show” that a federal judge determined there was probable cause for the search.

“What we did yesterday was, we presented our facts and the findings of the investigation, and the judge determined there was probable cause,” Patel said. “These things take time for people to see.”

Gabbard was photographed outside the Fulton County facility during the FBI’s execution of the search warrant, raising questions from Democratic lawmakers about whether the nation’s top intelligence official should be involved in domestic law enforcement actions.

Georgia Officials Condemn Raid As Political Stunt

Fulton County officials held a defiant press conference Thursday condemning the seizure as part of ongoing efforts to undermine confidence in American elections.

Robb Pitts, chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, emphasized that multiple audits and court rulings have confirmed the integrity of the county’s 2020 election results.

“Every audit, every recount, every court ruling has confirmed what we the people of Fulton County already knew: Our elections were fair and accurate and every legal vote was counted,” Pitts said. “These ongoing efforts are about intimidation and distraction, not facts.”

County officials said they complied with the warrant after reviewing it with attorneys but expressed deep concern about what would happen to the original ballots now in federal custody.

“We’re worried about what happens next. Now they’re in federal custody. We’re safe and secure about the ballots under the Fulton facility,” Pitts said. “What’s going on with those ballots that they’ve taken? We don’t know. We still don’t know what’s going to happen to them.”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who has faced Trump’s ire since refusing to “find” votes to overturn Biden’s Georgia victory in 2020, was not given advance notice of the raid. Raffensperger is currently seeking the Republican nomination for governor against Trump-backed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who has embraced claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.

Democrats Question Gabbard’s Role In Domestic Operation

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jim Himes sent a letter to Gabbard Thursday demanding an explanation for her presence at the Fulton County raid.

“It is also deeply concerning that you participated in this domestic law enforcement action,” the lawmakers wrote, requesting that she appear before both committees immediately.

Warner specifically noted that Gabbard had not informed the committee of any “legitimate foreign intelligence nexus” to the Fulton County election office. Conspiracy theories circulating in far-right social media circles have blamed Trump’s 2020 defeat on foreign interference from Iran, China, and even “Italian satellites.”

Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called Gabbard’s allegations against Obama “baseless” and an attempt to rehash “decade-old false claims.”

“Few episodes in our nation’s history have been investigated as thoroughly as the Intelligence Community’s warning in 2016 that Russia was interfering in the election,” Himes said. “Every legitimate investigation, including the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, found no evidence of politicization and endorsed the findings of the 2016 Intelligence Community Assessment.”

Himes referenced a Republican-led Senate report from 2020 that agreed with the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment findings of Russian influence. That report, backed by now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio, found “no evidence” of collusion between Trump and the Russian government but did find “irrefutable evidence” of Russian interference attempts.

Election Officials Express Alarm At Federal Tactics

The Fulton County raid has alarmed election officials nationwide, who gathered Thursday in Washington for their annual winter meeting. The typically congenial and bipartisan event became markedly tense as state officials pushed back against the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive tactics.

Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, a Republican who oversees her state’s elections, condemned statements by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon suggesting states are not properly maintaining voter rolls.

“She’s pretty much slandered all of us. To me, that’s problematic to publicly claim that secretaries of state are not doing our jobs and that the federal government has to do it — not OK,” Henderson said.

Dozens of state officials have refused to provide voter rolls to the Justice Department, citing state laws that prohibit sharing such information and the administration’s failure to explain how the data would be used.

The Justice Department sued Fulton County last month seeking access to 2020 election records including ballot stubs and signature envelopes. Federal judges dismissed a separate DOJ lawsuit seeking sensitive voter data from Georgia voters earlier this month.

Trump’s History Of Unproven Election Claims

Trump has a well-documented history of making unsubstantiated claims about election fraud, including repeatedly denying his own defeat in the 2020 presidential race despite multiple audits, recounts, and court rulings confirming the results.

In 2016, intelligence agencies assessed that Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in American democracy, harm Hillary Clinton‘s candidacy, and help Trump win. A 2019 special counsel report found insufficient evidence to support claims of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia but did confirm that Russia interfered in the election “in sweeping and systematic fashion.”

Georgia officials conducted multiple audits following the 2020 election, including a machine count and two recounts, all of which confirmed Biden’s victory in the state. Trump’s infamous January 2, 2021 phone call to Raffensperger—in which he demanded the secretary of state “find” exactly the number of votes needed to overcome Biden’s lead—led to a now-dismissed election interference case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

As Trump escalates attacks on a former president while federal agents seize election records based on long-debunked fraud claims, will American democratic institutions withstand unprecedented assaults on their legitimacy?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from International Business Times UK’s coverage of Trump’s arrest demand, MS NOW’s analysis of Trump’s Obama attacks, ABC News’ reporting on the Fulton County raid, TIME’s coverage of Trump’s jailing threats, Al Jazeera’s reporting on treason accusations, NBC News’ coverage of election officials’ pushback, The Daily Beast’s reporting on Trump’s Truth Social spree, Democracy Now’s coverage of the treason claims, and Fox News’ initial reporting on the FBI search.

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