Launches 'Obamagate' conspiracy theory accusing Obama of 'biggest political crime in American history'
Trump began heavily promoting a conspiracy theory he dubbed 'Obamagate,' baselessly accusing President Obama and Joe Biden of orchestrating a plot to undermine his presidency. When asked what crime Obama committed, Trump responded 'you know what the crime is' without specifying. The theory centered on the 'unmasking' of Michael Flynn, a routine intelligence practice that Trump falsely characterized as criminal. Politico reported Senate Republicans broke with Trump over the claims, with one senator noting the unmasking requests were 'routine' and 'not a crime.' The Guardian noted Trump was seeking to 'draw Biden into conspiracy theory' ahead of the 2020 election. The baseless accusations represented Trump's attempt to reverse-engineer a scandal against Obama and Biden without evidence.
“It's been called many things. Some people call it Obamagate, some people call it the biggest political crime in American history.” — Twitter and press remarks, May 2020
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryCreated from May 2020 research loop. 'Obamagate' was Trump's attempt to manufacture a scandal against Obama and Biden during the 2020 campaign. When pressed to name the specific crime, Trump couldn't articulate one, saying only 'you know what the crime is.' The conspiracy centered on routine intelligence 'unmasking' procedures that Trump falsely portrayed as criminal activity. Even Senate Republicans broke with Trump, noting the procedures were normal. The baseless theory demonstrated Trump's pattern of accusing opponents of his own behaviors - he was impeached for abusing intelligence agencies, so he accused Obama of the same. CNN called it the latest dimension of his 'deep state' conspiracy.