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