Victor Davis Hanson: Obama Killed the Truth to Frame Trump

Jul 24, 2025

Victor Davis Hanson explores allegations of a conspiracy involving Barack Obama and intelligence officials that aimed to frame Donald Trump as a Russian asset. He critiques how the misleading narrative impacted Trump’s candidacy and presidency, suggesting it undermined U.S. credibility abroad. The discussion questions the integrity of intelligence reports and the true nature of reported collusion, sparking a debate about the hidden motives behind key political actions during a tumultuous election period.

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INSIGHT

False Collusion Narrative Revealed

Documents reveal Obama and top intelligence officials conspired to create a false narrative of Trump-Russia collusion.
There was no consensus from 17 intelligence agencies confirming any Trump-Putin collusion.

INSIGHT

Obama Demands Collusion Narrative

During a December 9, 2016 meeting, intelligence leaders informed Obama that no evidence of Trump collusion existed.
Obama rejected this assessment, demanding a version that supported collusion, pushing a false narrative.

INSIGHT

Global Confusion and US Credibility Damage

Foreign intelligence agencies were confused by false accusations against Russians internally.
This flawed narrative undermined US credibility and moral high ground with adversaries, especially Russia.

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Despite repeated media claims that “17 intelligence agencies” confirmed the collusion, these documents show that no such consensus ever existed.

Victor Davis Hanson breaks down how this deliberate misinformation campaign damaged Trump’s 2016 campaign, his transition, and his presidency, while undermining U.S. credibility on the world stage on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“ There's news about the Tulsi Gabbard release of documents, alleging that Barack Obama and our top intelligence head had conspired to create a false narrative that Donald Trump was, essentially, a Russian asset.

“ But the problem is that, as I'm speaking, there's going to be new information. And these other subordinate intelligence directors that work variously for Clapper or Brennan are going to come forward in saying, ‘We found nothing. Clapper knew it. Brennan knew it.’ And what will Clapper and Brennan say? That ‘we knew it, but we lied,’ or, ‘We knew it and they told us to—Obama told us to lie,’ or, ‘He lied. We lied.’ It's not going to be pretty.”

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👉He’s also the host of “The Victor Davis Hanson Show,” available wherever you prefer to watch or listen. Links to the show and exclusive content are available on his website: https://victorhanson.com

00:00 Explosive Allegations Against Obama Intel

00:26 Obama's Response to the Allegations

01:15 Impact on Trump's Campaign and Presidency

01:46 Nunes, Horowitz, and Durham

02:54 The December 9th Meeting: Key Players and Revelations

04:01 Obama's Reaction and the Fallout

05:44 Ongoing Developments and Future Implications

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