How a Capitol riots ruling protects Obama from Trump's 'coup' allegations

US President Donald Trump may have unintentionally given former President Barack Obama, the legal cover to escape his latest wave of accusations. Trump has recently launched a new attack on Obama, accusing him of trying to overturn the 2016 election through what he called a deep state coup. But Obama is now likely protected by the very legal ruling that once helped Trump himself.

Last year, the US Supreme Court handed down a ruling that gave broad legal immunity to sitting presidents for actions taken while in office. That ruling came during Trump’s battle with charges related to the January 6 Capitol riots, where he was accused of encouraging the violent mob that stormed Congress.

This week, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a new “strike force” to look into Trump’s allegations. The move followed the release of declassified intelligence files from Obama’s time in office. These documents were made public by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who claims they show a secret effort by Obama’s team to undermine Trump right after his 2016 win.

Gabbard said the so-called “coup” involved faked intelligence linking Trump’s campaign to Russia. The US Department of Justice believes criminal charges should be brought against Obama and his former officials. Trump is fully behind the idea, calling the documents “proof of treason.”

But experts say the legal precedent set by the Supreme Court will likely block any serious case against Obama. The ruling essentially says that a president can’t be prosecuted for decisions made while doing the job. And that applies to Obama just as much as it did to Trump.

Meanwhile, critics say Trump’s sudden focus on Obama is just a smokescreen. The former president is under growing pressure to release documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who had links to many powerful people — possibly including Trump himself.

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