The Durham report proved a treasonous conspiracy by Obama and Clinton
| The Durham report proved a treasonous conspiracy by Obama and Clinton | |
|---|---|
| MISLEADING | |
| "John Durham's investigation proved that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton led a treasonous conspiracy to frame Donald Trump." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | Conspiracy Theory Propaganda Technique |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2023 |
| Origin | Reaction to the May 2023 Durham report, and claims by officials in 2025 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-03 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
The claim that the Durham report proved a treasonous conspiracy by Obama and Clinton overstates a critical report that did not make that allegation and did not produce charges.
What the evidence shows
- Durham did criticize the FBI. His 306-page report, released in May 2023, said the bureau failed to uphold its mission, showed confirmation bias, and gave too little weight to contrary information when it opened and ran the Russia investigation.
- It did not allege a presidential plot. The report did not conclude that Obama led a conspiracy, and no charges were filed against Obama, Clinton or officials who prepared the 2017 intelligence assessment.
- The prosecutions mostly failed. Michael Sussmann and Igor Danchenko were acquitted by juries. Only Kevin Clinesmith, who altered an email in the Carter Page surveillance case, pleaded guilty.
- The "Clinton plan intelligence" is unresolved. The report cited intelligence that Clinton approved a plan to link Trump to Russia. Durham acknowledged the U.S. intelligence community questioned whether it was authentic.
- 2025 and 2026 follow-ups did not settle it. In July 2025 Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called the events a treasonous conspiracy. AP and Washington Post fact checks said the documents she released did not support that claim. A 2020 House Republican report she released found most of the 2017 assessment sound. In 2026 a grand jury investigation was reported, with a subpoena to former CIA director John Brennan, and no conviction has resulted.
Why it persists
The report's critique was real and was ignored by many defenders of the investigation. That left a space where the stronger conclusion could be asserted.
Lessons for readers
- Ask what a report found, what it alleged, and what a court has decided.
- "Failed to follow procedure" and "committed treason" are different claims.
See also
- Crossfire Hurricane was a coup attempt by the Deep State
- Obama officials manufactured the 2017 Russia intelligence assessment in a treasonous conspiracy against Trump
- The Sussmann and Danchenko acquittals proved the Russia investigation was clean
Sources
- Special Counsel John Durham, report, May 2023.
- AP, fact check of Gabbard's claims, July 24, 2025.
- NBC News, "Gabbard's unprecedented claim," July 2025.