‘Hottest In The Room’: Trump Praises Tulsi Gabbard, Revives Debunked Obama Claims

Last Updated:July 23, 2025, 19:20 IST

Donald Trump praised Tulsi Gabbard, claiming her report proves Barack Obama conspired to rig the 2016 election.

US President Donald Trump praised Tulsi Gabbard at a White House event.

US President Donald Trump lavished praise on Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during a White House event, calling her “the hottest one in the room" as he credited her with releasing a controversial report that he claims proves former US President Barack Obama conspired to rig the 2016 election.

Gesturing towards Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump said, “Oh, where’s Tulsi? She’s, like, hotter than everybody. She has all the documents. She found out that Barack Hussein Obama led a group of people and they cheated in the elections. They cheated without question. It’s not even a quote."

The US President went on to claim that the 2016 election “was a big victory" and that “it shouldn’t have been a loss"- appearing to reference his popular vote defeat to Hillary Clinton despite winning the Electoral College.

According to Donald Trump, Tulsi Gabbard’s newly released intelligence report contains “proof" that Barack Obama directed a plot involving several senior officials- including Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, and ex-intelligence chief James Clapper- to undermine his campaign. None of the named individuals have been charged with any crime related to the Russia probe and multiple bipartisan investigations, including one by the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee, have long upheld the finding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump.

Donald Trump insisted, “She told me, ‘You’ve seen nothing yet.’ We’re very proud of you, Tulsi." Tulsi Gabbard’s report hinges on previously released Barack Obama-era communications and asserts that while no votes were altered in 2016, that absence somehow discredits broader claims of interference. The argument, widely rejected by intelligence analysts, attempts to redefine the scope of Russian meddling as purely a fabrication to delegitimize Donald Trump’s victory.

Barack Obama’s spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush issued a swift rebuttal to the comments made by the US President, saying, “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction."

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

News world ‘Hottest In The Room’: Trump Praises Tulsi Gabbard, Revives Debunked Obama Claims