Democrats to Obama: Don’t get in the mud with Trump
Democrats say former President Obama needs to hold the line when it comes to documents released by Trump officials that claim Obama’s administration sought to “rig” the 2016 election.
They don’t want him to get in the mud with President Trump at a moment when Republicans are divided over the Epstein files controversy and Democrats are on offense.
And they see efforts such as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s appearance at a White House briefing Wednesday as an effort to misdirect.
“No matter how much Trump and Fox are trying to drag it up, the base is still tearing them apart on the Epstein documents, so no need to interrupt them punching themselves in the face,” Democratic strategist Eddie Vale said, referring to cable news coverage of the controversies.
In interviews on Wednesday, Democratic operatives — some of whom worked for the former president — and donors echoed Vale’s sentiments, underscoring that Obama shouldn’t belittle himself and engage with Trump. Accordingly, Democrats are praising Obama for his restraint thus far as Trump accuses him of treason.
“I think his approach was fine. Clearly lay out the inconsistencies, redirect people to what Trump is trying to distract from,” a Democratic strategist said. “Trying to counter-message Donald Trump is like trying to follow a drunk driver home. The only way is to just survive.”
Gabbard on Friday released a slew of files allegedly revealing Obama and his administration fabricated the narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Trump then ran with the alleged revelations.
“Look, he’s guilty. It’s not a question. You know, I like to say, ‘Let’s give it time.’ It’s there. He’s guilty,” Trump said to reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office. “This was treason, this was every word you can think of.”
Since leaving office in 2016, Obama has been reluctant to clap back at Trump, refusing to engage in behavior he deems as beneath the office of the presidency, according to sources close to him.
But on Tuesday, the former president made a rare exception, putting out a statement to quash the rhetoric.
“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one,” the statement from Obama read. “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction. Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.
“These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio,” the statement concluded.
Democrats are homing in on the statement’s no-nonsense tone and backhanded rebuke of Rubio, now Trump’s secretary of State.
“While they generally ignore the day-to-day, it was smart I think to put out that statement to show how dumb it is, especially with the fun knife twist reminder of Rubio agreeing with them,” Vale said.
But Democrats, including Obama, recognize Trump’s latest effort is just another attempt to distract. And they say it is important not to stray away from their message.
“They’re not letting Trump pretend this is about anything other than distracting people from his Epstein files broken promise and trying to shore up tanking approval ratings,” said David Litt, who served as a speechwriter for Obama during his presidency and recently published a new book, “It’s Only Drowning,” about searching for common ground during a politically divisive moment for the nation.
Democrats say the Epstein files controversy particularly galvanizes Republicans, arguing it will be difficult to push them to another topic.
“Epstein is the kryptonite to Trump’s superpower of distraction,” Vale said. “He has been recycling through all the usual hits of, ‘Blame the media,’ ‘Blame Obama.’ And while Fox News is dutifully reporting them, his voters … and a lot of House Republicans are all seeing right through it and continuing to demand Trump release the files.”
At a White House press briefing Wednesday, press secretary Caroline Leavitt quickly handed the spotlight to Gabbard, who spoke at length about the Obama administration’s alleged fabrication.
But even since the claims were originally made Friday, House Republicans have been active on the social platform X touting all of the ways they are pressuring the White House.
“If the executive branch won’t release phase 2 of the Epstein files, we will. Americans deserve transparency and the victims deserve justice,” wrote Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is sponsoring a measure attached to a discharge petition that could force a vote on released Epstein material. His measure has 11 Republican sponsors and 13 Democrats.
The consensus among Democrats when it comes to the Epstein files controversy — embodied by Obama in his latest posture — is to sit back and let it run its divisive course through the Republican Party.
“We should never get in Trump’s pig pen,” said one Democratic donor. “The more we do, the more he wins.”