Obama issues rare statement responding to Trump's 'ridiculous' claim
Barack Obama has issued a statement rejecting claims made by Donald Trump that Russia successfully manipulated votes in the 2016 US Election.
Obama acknowledged Russia potentially may have attempted to influence the election, but it did not successfully affect the outcome.
"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," Obama's office said in a statement.
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Donald Trump and Barack Obama pictured together back on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. Getty
The statement comes after the current US President accused Obama of "treason" earlier this week.
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He claimed that documents reviewed by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, found Obama "guilty".
"He's guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of. They tried to steal the election. They tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody's ever even imagined." Trump stated when asked by a reporter who the main target of Gabbard's investigation should be.
President Donald Trump called for Barack Obama to be prosecuted. AP
"These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction," Obama's office replied.
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