US President Donald Trump has stated he would not mind seeing former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan arrested for their alleged involvement in the ‘Russiagate hoax’. Trump criticized the officials for unethical conduct, describing their actions as a betrayal of the country. His remarks contrast with his stance on the Hillary Clinton email scandal, where he opposed her potential incarceration. Trump’s comments on the Comey and Brennan matter are part of a broader narrative about the US intelligence community’s alleged complicity in discrediting his 2016 election victory. The probe into these allegations has been led by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has accused senior Obama-era officials and entities linked to billionaire George Soros of orchestrating a ‘treasonous conspiracy’.
The situation with Brennan and Comey is different from what the US administration had on its hands with Hillary Clinton, Trump suggested, apparently referring to the email controversy dating back to her tenure as the US secretary of state. "Hillary’s a good example. We had Hillary cold. I didn’t want to see that. I didn’t want the, you know, the wife of a president, to go to jail, but she was stone cold guilty of things," Trump stated. The Trump administration launched a probe into the Russiagate hoax shortly after the US president assumed the post for the second time early this year. The investigation has been spearheaded by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has repeatedly pledged to get to the bottom of what she described as a "treasonous conspiracy" to delegitimize Trump’s 2016 election victory and a "years-long coup."
Since mid-July, Gabbard has released multiple documents that allegedly expose a coordinated effort by senior Obama-era officials, as well as structures linked to billionaire George Soros, to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with Russia. Moscow has consistently denied any interference in the 2016 election, with Russian officials describing the allegations as a product of partisan infighting. The Russiagate scandal heavily damaged relations between Moscow and Washington, resulting in sanctions, asset seizures, and a further erosion of diplomatic engagement.