News - World: US President Donald Trump has launched his most brazen salvo yet against former president Barack Obama, accusing the latter of “treason,” a crime that is punishable by death.

The allegation came during a Tuesday Oval Office rant in which Trump, without offering evidence, declared, “Obama’s been caught directly. He’s guilty. This was treason.”

The remarks came as legal scrutiny over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal involving the multimillionaire financier and convicted sex offender, intensifies,

Trump's rant also followed unsubstantiated claims by his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who alleged -- without proof -- that Obama orchestrated a “coup” in 2016 to keep Trump out of office.

Gabbard’s so-called “evidence” consisted of selectively framed documents that, according to her, showed the Obama administration “manufactured and politicized intelligence” to launch the FBI probe into alleged Russian election interference.

Trump eagerly seized on the narrative, repeating his long-debunked claim that the Russia investigation was part of a deep-state conspiracy to undermine him.

“They tried to steal the election,” he said, doubling down on his refrain.

Observers say Trump’s invocation of “treason” is more than rhetorical, and marks a dangerous escalation in his years-long effort to weaponize the federal government against his political rivals.

Legal experts have repeatedly warned that Trump, driven by personal vendettas, is poised to use the machinery of justice to settle old scores.

His latest offensive appears aimed not only at Obama but at diverting attention from his own vulnerabilities, especially the Epstein-related mishandling of sensitive documents that continues to shadow his administration.

Source: Press TV