Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered a Justice Department (DOJ) probe into the origins of Russian interference allegations in the 2016 U.S. election. It follows recent document releases that challenge the initial inquiry on Russian involvement on Trump's behalf.

Bondi directed a prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury following referrals from the Trump administration's top intelligence official, as reported by Fox News and an anonymous source to the Associated Press.

Trump, denying involvement, welcomed the probe, stating "they deserve it" before calling the 2020 election "grotesque."

President Trump posted an AI-generated video Sunday of former President Obama's arrest, echoing claims of “treasonous conspiracy” surrounding the 2016 election.https://t.co/vO29944C14

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 21, 2025

The inquiry, a hallmark of Trump's first term, intensified his animosity toward intelligence and law enforcement figures like former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, both criticized by Trump's director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.

DNI Gabbard and allies released hundreds of declassified records last month, aiming to dispute Russian interference claims and expose an Obama administration effort to link Trump to Russia.

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The DNI memo and subsequent House Republican report challenged the intelligence community's finding that Russia favored Trump, noting no serious investigation claimed Russia altered vote tallies via hacking.

Gabbard accused the Obama administration of a "treasonous conspiracy" in 2016 to sabotage Trump's presidency, alleging they created a false intelligence assessment. Trump later posted an AI-generated video on July 20 of Obama's arrest, echoing those claims.

Gabbard then referred her findings to the DOJ, which recently formed a "Strike Force" to assess her evidence. 

Republicans vote against resolution demanding release of Epstein files

Amid controversy, President Trump urged people to move on from discussing Epstein, calling it a 'waste' of time.https://t.co/jVIIe6Ak6c

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 15, 2025

Despite conclusions by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to aid Trump, Bondi vowed a full DOJ investigation into the disclosures.

A grand jury probe allows prosecutors to subpoena documents and present evidence for a potential indictment. Last month, a spokesperson for former President Obama called the administration's accusations "outrageous," "bizarre," and "a weak attempt at distraction."

It's unclear who from the Obama administration the grand jury will investigate or what charges they may face.

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Axios that the administration is "committed to conducting a thorough investigation" to reveal how former officials "sabotaged the Trump administration and undermined the will of the American people" in an effort to "subvert our Constitutional Republic."

Mueller's years-long investigation led to convictions of Trump aides but found no proof of a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

Declassified documents released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley reveal the FBI "failed to fully investigate" Hillary Clinton's private email server during her time as Secretary of State.https://t.co/77N7J3dBgE

— Rebel News USA (@RebelNews_USA) July 22, 2025

Emails released last week by Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, appear to support claims made on social media by FBI Director Kash Patel, who asserted they demonstrate a plot by the Clinton campaign “to frame President Trump and fabricate the Russia collusion hoax."

The emails came from a classified 2023 report by Special Counsel John Durham, appointed during the Trump administration to investigate government misconduct in the Russia probe.

Republicans highlighted a declassified July 27, 2016, email suggesting Hillary Clinton approved a plan to link Trump to Russia.

The FBI initiated its Russia investigation on July 31, 2016, after a tip revealed Trump adviser George Papadopoulos knew Russia had compromising information on Clinton.