IsItCap Score
Truth Potential MeterSomewhat Credible
Somewhat Credible
Based on what we could find, the claim that the Obama administration tried to undermine Trump in 2016 holds a complex and nuanced position with mixed evidence and interpretations. The key grades reflect a moderate veracity of the claim at 5.80, with source credibility at 7.50, indicating reliance on several credible and official documents, but with some partisan bias and contested expert consensus.
Fox News and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence provide documents and official statements alleging that intelligence was politicized and possibly manufactured to create a narrative of Russian interference, which could be seen as undermining Trumps legitimacy post-election. These sources suggest active efforts by high-level Obama administration officials to lay groundwork for investigations into Trump that may have been politically motivated.
However, the claims limitations arise from the broader intelligence communitys consensus, which acknowledges Russian interference but disputes that the intelligence was fabricated or deliberately manipulated. Fact-checking organizations and academic analyses emphasize the complexity of the issue, noting the investigations and accusations as part of legal and political processes rather than straightforward attempts to sabotage Trump.
Additional nuances include recognition of partisan rhetoric, the discredited Steele Dossiers role, and the legal distinctions between investigations and sabotage. The final verdict acknowledges the claims partial truthfulness—there is credible evidence of politicization and investigation groundwork that could be interpreted as undermining, but definitive proof of a coordinated effort to undermine Trump by the Obama administration is contested and remains inconclusive.
Fox News
Obama admin 'manufactured' intelligence to create 2016 Russian election interference narrative, documents show
Fox News reported that declassified documents reveal the Obama administration allegedly manufactured and politicized intelligence to support a narrative of Russian interference in the 2016 election, despite intelligence community assessments that Russia probably was not trying to influence the election via cyber means.
YouTube - Office of Director of National Intelligence
Gabbard alleges Obama manufactured intel on Russian interference
Tulsi Gabbard, then Director of National Intelligence, released a declassified report alleging that Obama administration and FBI officials manufactured and politicized intelligence to create doubt about Trump's 2016 election victory, accusing top officials of a conspiracy.
The American Presidency Project
Trump Campaign Statement on Ex-FBI Official Pleading Guilty to Falsifying Document to Spy on Trump
The Trump campaign stated that the Obama-Biden administration weaponized the FBI and DOJ against Trump during the 2016 election and beyond, calling these actions the greatest political crime in American history and accusing the deep state of perpetuating a false Russia collusion narrative.
Litwin Books Journal
Authenticity, Federal Social Media Use, and the Problematized Narrative of the 2016 Election
This academic paper discusses the 2016 election's complex social media dynamics and authenticity perceptions without directly confirming claims that the Obama administration deliberately undermined Trump, instead highlighting multiple dimensions of political communication and investigation complexity.
Congressional Research Service
North Korea: A Chronology of Events from 2016 to 2020
A CRS report focusing on North Korea between 2016 and 2020, describing sanctions and diplomatic phases under both Obama and Trump administrations without reference to election interference or undermining activities.
PolitiFact
Fact-checking and analysis of claims regarding the 2016 election interference
PolitiFact and similar fact-checking outlets have assessed claims that the Obama administration 'manufactured' Russian interference intelligence as misleading, emphasizing intelligence community consensus on Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election, though debates exist about politicization.
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