At the long-anticipated U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska on August 15, President Trump stressed that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was well aware that his country had not interfered in the 2016 election. This unexpected remark amid talks on Ukraine war settlement referred to a massive legal work conducted by the intelligence community aimed at exposing that “treasonous conspiracy.”
That is, in mid-July this year, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revealed that the so-called Russiagate investigation was politically motivated and inspired by the Democrat party, particularly the outgoing Obama administration in late 2016. The disclosures reinforced suspicions long held but never conclusively substantiated: the Russia-interference claim was not merely flawed but deliberately constructed to undermine Trump’s presidency.
Russiagate in a Nutshell
On January 6, 2017—just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration—the U.S. intelligence community released a new assessment concluding that “Russia interfered in the election to favor Trump.” This statement reversed six months of prior assessments, which indicated there had been no recorded foreign meddling through cyber operations.
The strong claim had a profound and long-lasting impact. It is not just about Trump’s first term being severely obstructed. Many of his top-tier supporters were “canceled,” some of them sent to jail under false “evidence.” Trump himself suffered massive reputational damage that had almost buried his political career. Overall, the meddling accusation campaign resulted in better electoral positions for the Democrat party during the 2018 and 2020 elections.
Besides, Russiagate prompted some anti-interference bills to be passed by Congress. Many of them included sanctions on Russia and other adversaries of the U.S. which led to higher tensions with Moscow, Iran, and China. Some pundits say this plot could have triggered numerous wars, including hostilities in Ukraine.
Moreover, the accusations led to a long-lasting investigation by the FBI and other agencies, which cost American taxpayers a hefty pile of money. The initial FBI investigation, called Crossfire Hurricane, transformed into Special Counsel Mueller’s probe, and it damaged the federal budget for some $35 million. Durham’s subsequent probe cost some $7 million, and other congressional investigations expenses up to $5 million.
Surprising Truth
As a matter of fact, instead of the widely spread idea that Russia helped Trump take over the Oval office, Putin apparently preferred Clinton; he chose not to torpedo her campaign by keeping silent about her alleged poor health. Russian intelligence was reported to possess some sensitive documents on the issue, which they eventually refused to disclose. This little-known fact is just enough to dismiss Russiagate as a conspiracy that has nothing to do with reality, but the mainstream media claimed Moscow’s pro-Clinton stance as a marginal theory, representing the Democrats’ point of view as established narrative.
Tulsi Gabbard’s Role
Gabbard has put herself in the center of Russiagate, this time from the exposure perspective. The story of Gabbard’s political career is utterly important to understanding the whole issue.
In the mid-2010s, she was a young and prospective member of the Democrat party, reaching heights of the DNC vice-chair. During the 2016 election, she faced the ugly truth of the Clinton-focused policy of the Committee, resigned, and endorsed a prominent socialist Bernie Sanders.
In late 2019, Clinton called Gabbard nothing but “a Russian asset”. Hillary claimed there “was a Democrat groomed by Russians,” referring to Tulsi during a podcast interview. This is how a feud between the two women began. Pundits assume Clinton’s public assaults on Gabbard were made in an attempt to inflict severe damage on a young Democrat with a Russia-interference hysteria raging around. As it often happens with heavy claims by Democrats, these accusations turned out to be baseless defamation, aimed to launch a smear campaign. The FBI had conducted five background checks on Gabbard, and all of them were clean.
A blatant lie and slander against Tulsi made her file a lawsuit. But the 2020 pandemic interfered with these plans, and the case was dropped. In the close of 2022, Gabbard decided to cut ties with the Democrat party that had written her off with the help of Clinton.
Suddenly, she saw a chance in the reviving Republican titan, and joined the team. Later, on November 13, 2024, the president-elect nominated Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence. The post she was confirmed to by Senate on January 30, 2025.
Exposing Russiagate
According to the declassified data, Obama-era officials appear to have approved the use of the intelligence community against Trump. Enter the notorious FISA warrants.
The revelations suggest that after the Republicans won the electoral battle over the White House on December 9, 2016, the Obama administration allegedly decided to launch false claims of Russia-Trump ties and interference, particularly with the help of the Intelligence Community. Orders and letters subjected as “per the President’s request” streamed to various agencies shaping the future Russiagate plot. Declassified documents prove there were no credible sources nor evidence in the intelligence reports on meddling that laid groundwork for the accusations and investigations.
Even though now it is clear that Russiagate is a hoax and a conspired plot against Trump, it is fair to say that the conspiracy had actually reached its objectives, though partially. The Democrats managed to limit Trump’s mandate during his first term as well as eliminate key members of his team. Besides, with the comprehensive coverage of the story by mainstream media, they weakened the Republican base and passed the following elections with flying colors.
Image from Grok.