President Trump acknowledges that Former President Barack Obama may be protected by presidential immunity from criminal prosecution over the latest Russiagate revelations.
“He’s done criminal acts, there’s no question about it,” the president said friday, “but he has immunity.”
Documents declassified by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard last week reveal that, in its final days, the Obama Administration had intelligence that proved Russia did not, and could not, hack the 2016 election, but still launched a campaign to smear then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, and then to undermine incoming President Trump with a narrative of Russia collusion.
Since that revelation, Trump has called Obama the “ringleader” of a Russiagate criminal conspiracy.
But in comments on Friday, Trump granted that presidential immunity, a protection he himself helped establish, would likely protect the former president, adding “He owes me big. Obama owes me big.”
It was almost exactly one year ago, in a case centered on Trump, that the U.S. Supreme Court brought about clarity to the immunity a president has from prosecution. In July of 2024, the court ruled that presidents have absolute immunity for acts committed as president within their core powers and at least some degree of immunity for other official acts.
While admitting the former president is probably off the hook, Trump insisted it could be a different story for Obama’s inner circle. “The immunity ruling,” he said, “it doesn't help the people around him at all. But it probably helps him a lot.”