Days after reposting an AI-generated video depicting the arrest of former President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump intensified his attacks on Tuesday, accusing Obama of treason related to the 2016 presidential election—without offering any supporting evidence.

“They tried to rig the election, and they got caught. And there should be very severe consequences for that,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office, reviving long-debunked conspiracy theories.

The remarks followed Trump’s repost of a fabricated video originally circulated on TikTok, which falsely showed Obama being arrested in the Oval Office. The video quickly went viral after appearing on Trump’s own social media platform over the weekend.

Obama’s spokesperson issued a rare rebuttal, calling the claims “outrageous” and “a weak attempt at distraction.” The statement added, “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous. We don’t typically respond to the constant nonsense coming from this administration, but this one merits a response.”

Trump’s renewed accusations came in the wake of a criminal referral submitted by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to the Department of Justice, allegedly implicating Obama-era officials in election misconduct. However, the claims contradict longstanding findings from bipartisan investigations.

“Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,” Obama’s spokesperson said. “These findings were reaffirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by Marco Rubio.”

When asked about a separate issue involving Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche and a reported meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell—convicted for sex trafficking alongside deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein—Trump deflected by again targeting Obama.

“He’s the leader of the gang,” Trump said, referencing Obama. “This was treason. They tried to steal the election. They did things that even dictators in other countries wouldn’t try.”

Critics across the political spectrum argue Trump’s recent rhetoric and social media posts are part of a broader effort to deflect attention from growing calls for transparency around the Epstein case. The administration is currently facing scrutiny over its handling of related files and whether more information should be made public.

As the controversy deepens, lawmakers and public watchdogs are urging the administration to focus on facts rather than inflammatory distractions.