Declassified documents have ignited a firestorm, revealing former President Barack Obama's presence at pivotal meetings that sparked the FBI's "Crossfire Hurricane" probe into alleged Trump-Russia ties. Critics, including President Donald Trump, point fingers at Obama, branding him the mastermind behind the Russiagate saga, as Fox News reports. Yet, Obama’s camp dismisses these claims as political smoke and mirrors.

Newly released records, unveiled by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, show that Obama was briefed on intelligence suggesting Hillary Clinton aimed to smear Trump with Russian ties.

This saga began in July 2016, when whispers of foreign interference started swirling. The documents paint a picture of a tightly knit circle of top officials shaping a controversial investigation.

On July 19, 2016, Obama huddled with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey in a White House meeting.

Just days later, on July 25–27, emails allegedly tied to George Soros’ Open Society Foundations hinted at Clinton’s plan to link Trump to Russian hackers. These emails, later hacked by Russian actors, suggested a strategy to distract from Clinton’s email server woes.

Meetings that shaped probe

By July 28, 2016, CIA Director John Brennan’s notes referenced Obama, with cryptic mentions of "JC," "Denis," and "Susan," possibly pointing to Comey, Denis McDonough, or Susan Rice.

The FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane on July 31, 2016, under Peter Strzok’s lead, targeting Trump’s campaign for potential Russian collusion. Days later, on Aug. 3, Brennan briefed Obama, Joe Biden, Comey, Lynch, and James Clapper on Clinton’s alleged plot to vilify Trump.

Brennan’s notes, declassified in 2020 by Ratcliffe, explicitly mention Clinton’s approval of a plan to tie Trump to Russian security services. “CITE alleged approved by Hillary Clinton a proposal to vilify Donald Trump,” the notes read, suggesting a calculated political maneuver. Obama’s spokesman, Patrick Rodenbush, calls these claims “ridiculous,” insisting they’re a distraction from Russia’s confirmed election meddling.

Rodenbush’s defense, claiming the allegations are “bizarre” and baseless, leans on a 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report affirming Russia’s interference. But the declassified notes raise eyebrows, suggesting Clinton’s team saw an opportunity to exploit the Russia narrative. The timing—days before the FBI’s probe began -- fuels suspicions of political orchestration.

Clinton’s plan, FBI moves

Shortly after the Aug. 3 briefing, the CIA sent a Counterintelligence Operational Lead to Comey and Strzok, reinforcing claims of Clinton’s anti-Trump strategy. The Open Society Foundations emails, penned by regional director Leonard Benardo, allegedly discussed using Russian hacker claims to shift focus from Clinton’s email scandal. This narrative, critics argue, smells of a setup to kneecap Trump’s campaign.

By Nov. 10, 2016, Obama met President-elect Trump and warned against hiring Michael Flynn as national security adviser. Flynn, a lightning rod in the Russiagate storm, had been fired by Obama in 2014 and позже pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about Russian contacts. The Justice Department’s 2020 decision to drop Flynn’s case, citing questionable FBI tactics, adds fuel to the conspiracy fire.

FBI agents, per declassified documents, debated whether their goal was to trap Flynn into admitting a Logan Act violation during a January 2017 interview. This tactic, critics say, reeks of overreach, casting doubt on the investigation’s impartiality. Obama’s warning to Trump about Flynn now reads like a calculated move in a high-stakes chess game.

Escalating tensions, new assessments

On Dec. 8, 2016, a Presidential Daily Brief stated Russian cyberattacks didn’t alter election results but aimed to sow doubt in the process. The next day, a White House Situation Room meeting with Clapper, Brennan, Susan Rice, John Kerry, and Andrew McCabe discussed sanctioning Russia for cyber operations. Clapper’s assistant then tasked intelligence leaders to reassess Russia’s election influence, raising questions about shifting narratives.

By Jan. 5, 2017, Obama met with Comey, Rice, Brennan, Clapper, and Biden, where Comey advised withholding sensitive Russia-related intel from Flynn. Rice’s email to herself, declassified in 2020, documented this meeting, hinting at efforts to limit the incoming administration’s access. Such moves, critics argue, suggest a deliberate effort to hamstring Trump’s team.

The Jan. 6, 2017, Intelligence Community Assessment, released days before Trump’s inauguration, claimed Russia sought to influence the election through cyber means—contradicting earlier findings. Gabbard’s Dec. 9, 2016, declassification accused the Obama administration of politicizing intelligence to craft a Russian interference narrative. This flip-flop, skeptics say, smells of agenda-driven governance.

Questions of motive, legacy

Obama’s spokesman Rodenbush insists the declassified documents don’t undermine Russia’s documented election meddling, as affirmed by a bipartisan Senate report. “These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee,” he said, brushing off accusations as political noise. Yet, the timing and players involved invite scrutiny of Obama’s role.

Trump’s charge that Obama was the “ringleader” of Russiagate may overreach, but the documents suggest a cozy relationship between Clinton’s strategy and the FBI’s actions. The declassified records, while not conclusive, paint a troubling picture of political motives mingling with intelligence work. For conservatives, this saga underscores a deep distrust in the establishment’s impartiality.

The Crossfire Hurricane probe, born in the heat of 2016’s election, continues to haunt the political landscape. While Obama’s team denies orchestrating a witch hunt, the declassified documents tell a story of calculated moves and convenient timing. Whether this was a legitimate investigation or a political hit job remains a question that divides the nation.