New Intel Memo Challenges Trump-Russia Narrative, Points to High-Level Political Collusion

Explosive new revelations from the long-running “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation are reigniting debate over the 2016 election and the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. A newly declassified memo, released Friday by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, has cast serious doubt on the foundational claims of Russian interference in Donald Trump’s presidential victory over Hillary Clinton.

The memo, originating from top U.S. intelligence officials during the final months of the Obama administration, directly concluded that Russian operatives had no meaningful impact on the election outcome. In fact, it stated plainly that malicious cyber activities, while attempted, failed to penetrate voting infrastructure or change any vote tallies.

“Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure,” the 2016 memo reported to then-President Barack Obama.

The document clarified that although there were attempts to breach systems—such as efforts to access Illinois’ voter registration database—those operations were unsuccessful in altering or affecting actual vote counts.

“The targeting of infrastructure not used in casting ballots makes it highly unlikely it would have resulted in altering any state’s official vote,” the memo read. “Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes.”

This revelation lends significant support to former President Trump’s long-standing claim that the Russia collusion narrative was a politically motivated effort to delegitimize his win and undermine his administration before it began.

Communications Suggest Coordination Between Clinton Camp and Obama Officials

As part of this wave of disclosures, veteran journalist Paul Sperry of RealClearInvestigations revealed via social media that internal sources have identified damning communications between the Clinton campaign and high-ranking Obama-era officials.

“I’m told there are texts/emails indicating Hillary Clinton campaign aides directly coordinated with the Obama White House, NSC, State Dept and Intelligence Community officials in efforts to dig up dirt tying Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin in July 2016,” Sperry posted.

Though these messages have not yet been publicly released, they may become part of a wider declassification push spearheaded by Gabbard and supported by certain factions within the Department of Justice and intelligence community.

If verified, such coordination would represent one of the most serious political scandals in modern American history, suggesting a deliberate attempt by a sitting administration to sway public perception and influence an election’s aftermath.

Brennan and Comey Face Renewed Scrutiny

Among those under renewed investigation are former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. Current CIA Director John Ratcliffe has accused Brennan of intentionally concealing aspects of the investigation from other agencies and of pushing to include the discredited Steele dossier—an unverified collection of allegations linking Trump to Russian operatives—into official assessments.

Ratcliffe indicated that internal communications and testimonies may show that Brennan misled Congress when he claimed the dossier did not influence the intelligence community’s final report.

Though the statute of limitations may preclude perjury charges, officials are now exploring whether Brennan could still be prosecuted for conspiracy to commit perjury or other criminal violations.

Comey, meanwhile, has reportedly drawn attention from the Secret Service following the publication of a cryptic and controversial social media post earlier this year. Though the contents of the post remain undisclosed, sources say it triggered enough concern to prompt a visit from federal agents.

DOJ Reviewing Criminal Charges, More Declassifications Possible

In response to these developments, the Department of Justice has assembled a task force to determine whether criminal referrals should be made. A recent closed-door meeting brought together DOJ leaders, CIA officials, and members of the intelligence community to review a 200-page congressional audit compiled in the wake of the Durham investigation’s conclusion in 2023.

Among the key questions now being considered is whether Crossfire Hurricane was launched with insufficient justification, and whether its continuation—despite internal doubts—violated ethical or legal standards.

Additional documents, including notes, emails, and interview transcripts from the Durham probe, are being evaluated for public release. Gabbard’s office has signaled that Friday’s declassification is only the beginning of a broader transparency campaign.

Political Fallout and Public Reaction

These disclosures could carry serious implications for several high-profile figures, including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and key members of their administrations. One unnamed senior intelligence official was quoted as saying:

“Obama ordered the ICA [Intelligence Community Assessment] to set Trump up and knock him off balance before he could even get started. This was an influence operation far more consequential than anything Putin cooked up. Obama and Hillary schemed the op, and the CIA and FBI ran it.”

If the claims continue to gain traction, they could reshape public understanding of the 2016 election—and may lead to unprecedented legal and political consequences for those involved.

As the layers of Crossfire Hurricane continue to unravel, one thing is certain: the full story of the 2016 election and the Russia collusion narrative is far from over.