Former US President Barack Obama’s office dismissed as “ridiculous” newly released claims by the US intelligence chief that the Obama administration fabricated the case accusing Russia of interfering in the 2016 presidential election. 

The response followed a statement Friday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which alleged that senior Obama-era officials advanced the narrative of Russian interference despite intelligence reports at the time showing no evidence of such activity by Moscow. 

“These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement to NewsNation on Tuesday. “Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.” 

Trump demands 'severe consequences'

The dispute follows a political firestorm ignited by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who on Sunday accused former Obama administration officials of deliberately manufacturing intelligence linking Russia to the 2016 campaign. Gabbard said the US government now possesses evidence that could lead to charges against those involved in the alleged fabrication and promised more details would soon be released.

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Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump weighed in, calling for “severe consequences” against those responsible for what he described as a conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election. Trump specifically named former President Obama and demanded that the Department of Justice take action.

“This was a direct attempt to interfere with the democratic process,” Trump said, reiterating his long-standing view that the Russia investigation was politically motivated.

Russia has repeatedly denied all allegations of election interference. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has called the accusations “absolutely unfounded,” while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that no credible evidence has ever been provided to support claims of Russian meddling in US or other countries' elections.

Trump escalating calls for prosecution

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump directly accused former President Barack Obama and senior officials of orchestrating a scheme to fabricate ties between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. "They [the Office of the Director of National Intelligence] caught [former] President Obama, absolutely cold, what they [Obama administration officials] did to this country starting in 2016, but going all the way up to the 2020 election," Trump said. "They tried to rig the election, and they got caught, and there should be very severe consequences for that."

Trump also urged the Department of Justice to pursue charges against Obama, claiming it was necessary to defend democratic integrity. His remarks come on the heels of a statement from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who revealed Sunday that her office has compiled evidence sufficient to support criminal charges against former Obama administration officials.

The allegations appear to validate Trump’s long-standing assertion that the Russia probe was a politically driven hoax designed to delegitimize his presidency and block his re-election. Now back in office, Trump is pushing aggressively to settle what he calls a historic injustice. "They got caught," he said. "There should be very severe consequences for that."

Read more: Obama officials may face charges over Russia probe: Gabbard

While Republican allies have rallied behind the president’s demand for prosecutions, critics have dismissed the allegations as part of a broader effort to exact political revenge and erase the findings of earlier bipartisan investigations, including the Mueller report, which concluded that Russia did interfere in the 2016 election.