White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has condemned the media for perpetuating the ‘Russia hoax’ narrative during a briefing on Wednesday. She accused journalists and former officials of spreading fabricated intelligence about President Donald Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 election, referring to it as a ‘complete scam’ and a ‘scandal.’
Leavitt cited the findings of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who suggested that the Obama administration directed the creation of a false intelligence assessment to promote the idea that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump win. She called for accountability for those who participated in the alleged fraud, stating that it had been ’10 years of this.’
The press secretary also criticized media outlets for repeating the hoax, accusing them of hiring former officials like James Comey and Andrew McCabe to continue spreading the lies. She highlighted the role of Democratic Party figures such as Hillary Clinton and Adam Schiff, who made statements asserting that Trump was a ‘puppet for Putin,’ which she described as ‘a lie.’
President Trump has supported these claims, calling Obama the ‘ringleader’ of the Russiagate conspiracy and demanding a criminal investigation. Obama’s spokesperson has dismissed the allegations as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘a weak attempt at distraction,’ asserting that the widely accepted conclusion is that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election but did not manipulate any votes. The controversy continues amidst ongoing debates about the legitimacy of the intelligence narrative and the role of media in shaping public perception.