Obama’s Intelligence Alteration Allegation: The Russia Narrative and the Preemptive Strike on Trump’s First Term
A Fault Line Investigation — Published by The Beacon Press
Published: November 17, 2025
https://thebeaconpress.org/obamas-intelligence-alteration-allegation-the-russia-narrative-and-the
Executive Breath
In the final months of 2016, the Obama administration oversaw intelligence assessments that framed Russia as the primary threat to the U.S. election – a narrative that began before any evidence of Trump campaign collusion emerged. The January 6, 2017, ICA (Intelligence Community Assessment) on Russian interference, declassified in part in 2025, shows edits that elevated unverified claims from the Steele dossier and downplayed dissenting agency views.
The truth under scrutiny: These alterations – led by CIA Director John Brennan and DNI James Clapper – were not reported to be reactive to new intel but were reported to be preemptive strike to delegitimize Trump’s presidency before it began, wrapped in plausible deniability that bent craft standards enough for the public to swallow representation of high threat to the U.S. Constitutional Federal Republic and its democratic elections for U.S. Presidency as credible, clear, and present danger.
The 2016–2017 Timeline
- July 2016: FBI opens Crossfire Hurricane based on Papadopoulos tip – no Trump campaign collusion evidence.
- September 2016: Steele dossier circulated to FBI, State Dept – labeled “raw intelligence,” not verified.
- December 2016: Obama orders ICA – Brennan hand-picks authors, excludes NSA dissent on Russian hack confidence.
- January 6, 2017: ICA released – 50% redacted in 2020, full declassification ordered by Trump in 2025.
- January 10, 2017: BuzzFeed publishes dossier – Brennan briefed Obama on it days prior.
The Alterations
Declassified 2025 ICA footnotes reveal:
– Brennan’s Draft: “High confidence” Russia aimed to help Trump – NSA rated “moderate.”
– Clapper Edit: Removed caveat that dossier was “unverified and uncorroborated.”
– FBI Dissent: Omitted – Comey later testified no collusion evidence by January 2017.
Unclassified Documents Review
- DNI Press Release (July 23, 2025): Claims “irrefutable evidence” of Obama “manufacturing” the ICA. Attached HPSCI 2020 report criticizes Brennan for pushing Steele dossier despite warnings; notes Clapper’s Dec 7, 2016 talking points (“Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks to alter the vote outcome”).
- HPSCI Report Annex (2020, declassified 2025): Brennan’s Dec 2016 email to Clapper (“Need to lock in high confidence before transition”); Clapper reply (“Agreed – will handle NSA”). This “rushed process” rings as politician speak for bending the truth – pressure without fingerprints, preserving deniability while skewing the narrative.
- Senate Intelligence Committee Findings (2020, released 2025): Bipartisan report affirms ICA integrity – “no significant analytic tradecraft issues”; Russia “aggressively sought to interfere on Trump’s behalf.”
The Preemptive Strike
- January 5, 2017: Obama White House meeting – Comey briefs on dossier, Sally Yates shocked.
- January 6, 2017: Comey briefs Trump – ensures leak to trigger media storm.
- Result: Mueller appointed May 2017 – no collusion found after 22 months.
Foreign Preference in U.S. Elections: A Global Playbook
Unclassified ICAs from 2016–2024 reveal a consistent pattern: foreign actors routinely express low, moderate, or high confidence preferences for one candidate – not to “elect” them, but to sow division and weaken U.S. institutions.
| Election | Foreign Actor | Preference Level | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Russia | High Confidence (Trump) | Putin ordered influence ops to boost Trump, weaken Clinton |
| 2016 | Iran | Moderate Confidence (Clinton) | Hacked but didn’t leak Trump data |
| 2020 | Russia | High Confidence (Trump) | IRA boosted Trump, attacked Biden |
| 2020 | China | Low Confidence (Biden) | Preferred stability |
| 2020 | Iran | High Confidence (Biden) | Anti-Trump ops |
| 2024 | Russia | High Confidence (Trump) | IRA ops favored Trump |
| 2024 | China | Low-Moderate Confidence (Harris) | Preferred Harris on Taiwan policy |
| 2024 | Iran | High Confidence (Harris) | Hacked Trump campaign |
This global playbook underscores the 2016 ICA’s rush as vulnerability.
Corollaries Between Gabbard’s Allegations and Key Players (1–3 Degrees of Separation)
In 2025, DNI Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents alleging the Obama administration orchestrated a “treasonous conspiracy” to manufacture the 2016 ICA narrative. The connections between Obama and the key players are direct and tight:
| Key Player | Gabbard Allegation Tie | Degree of Separation from Obama | Corollary Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Brennan (CIA Director) | Led ICA drafting, allegedly pushed unverified Steele dossier despite warnings | Degree 1 (direct briefing to Obama, July/Aug 2016 meetings) | Brennan briefed Obama on Steele dossier (Dec 2016); suppressed NSA dissent |
| James Clapper (DNI) | Oversaw ICA, allegedly removed caveats on dossier reliability | Degree 1 (Obama’s DNI, Dec 9, 2016 NSC meeting) | Clapper’s assistant emailed ICA tasking post-meeting; dismissed NSA “moderate” for “high” |
| James Comey (FBI Director) | Insisted on including dossier in ICA annex; briefed Trump Jan 6, 2017 | Degree 1 (FBI Director under Obama, Dec 9 meeting) | Comey handled Steele dossier to FBI; testified no collusion evidence by Jan 2017 |
| Christopher Steele | Dossier source, allegedly “unverifiable” but elevated in ICA | Degree 2 (Steele → FBI/CIA → Brennan/Clapper → Obama) | Steele’s dossier funded by Clinton campaign; incorporated despite flaws |
| Susan Rice (NSA) | Attended Dec 9 NSC meeting; unmasking requests | Degree 1 (Obama’s National Security Advisor) | Rice in Obama meeting ordering ICA; unmasking FISA targets (e.g., Flynn) |
No new 2025 evidence beyond these known chains substantiates a coordinated “coup.”
2025 Spectrum of Coverage
Conservative outlets hailed Gabbard’s releases as “bombshell evidence” of Obama-era treason (Fox News, July 20–24, 2025; The Federalist, July 21, 2025). Liberal outlets dismissed them as politically motivated attempts to “rewrite history” (CNN, July 22, 2025; Washington Post, July 24, 2025). Centrist and fact-checking sources concluded the documents “do not support claims of a coordinated conspiracy” (AP, July 24, 2025; Reuters, July 23, 2025; BBC, July 23, 2025; FactCheck.org, August 7, 2025). Conservatives hail as “treason,” liberals as “rewrite” – but the emails show the real grey: pressure without fingerprints, deniability built in.
Sources (Full Attribution — Pillar 3: Truth Only)
- Gabbard declassifies new docs – Politico, July 23, 2025
- Gabbard’s claims not supported – Washington Post, July 24, 2025
- Gabbard threatens prosecution – Fox News, July 20, 2025
- Gabbard’s Misleading ‘Coup’ Claim – FactCheck.org, August 7, 2025
- New Evidence Uncovers Obama-Directed Creation – DNI.gov, July 23, 2025
- Declassified Records Show Obama Lied – The Federalist, July 21, 2025
- Gabbard releases Russia documents – AP, July 24, 2025
- Committee Findings on the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment – Senate Intelligence Committee, 2020 (2025 release)
- ODNI ICA 2021 – DNI.gov, March 16, 2021
- ODNI ICA 2024 – DNI.gov, October 31, 2024
- Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian Interference (ICA 2017) – DNI.gov, January 6, 2017 (declassified 2025)
- ODNI ICA 2021 on 2020 Election Interference – DNI.gov, March 16, 2021
- DNI Annual Threat Assessment 2023 – DNI.gov, 2023
- ODNI ICA 2024 on 2024 Election Interference – DNI.gov, October 31, 2024
- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Report Vol. 5 – intelligence.senate.gov, August 2020 (2025 release)
- Foreign Interference in the 2020 Election: Tools for Detecting Online Election Interference – RAND Corporation, 2020
- What to Know About Foreign Meddling in the US Election – Atlantic Council, November 5, 2024
- No Time for Complacency: How to Combat Foreign Interference After the Midterms – German Marshall Fund, 2020 (2025 update)
- Trends in Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election – The Soufan Center, October 31, 2024
- Banning Covert Foreign Election Interference – Council on Foreign Relations, May 29, 2020 (2025 update)
- Foreign Actors Are Again Using Twitter to Interfere with the U.S. Election – RAND Corporation, October 7, 2020
- The U.S. Spies Who Sound the Alarm About Election Interference – The New Yorker, October 21, 2024
- Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections – White House, March 25, 2025
- Key Findings and Recommendations: Foreign Interference Related to the 2020 US Federal Elections – DHS.gov, undated (2025 release)
- American Confidence in Elections – Foundation for Defense of Democracies, December 18, 2024
- Are the US elections safe from foreign interference? Americans aren’t sure – YouGov, February 28, 2020 (2025 update)
- The Far Right’s Invitation for Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections – Center for American Progress, July 18, 2024
- List of foreign electoral interventions – Wikipedia, October 29, 2025
- Foreign electoral intervention – Wikipedia, May 24, 2025
Action Demand (Pillar 7)
Demand full ICA footnotes release — contact Senate Judiciary: “Release unredacted Brennan-Clapper edits.”
→ Senate Judiciary Contact
→ Reference: EO 14002, January 2025
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