On July 21, 2025, Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project, declared that former President Barack Obama has no presidential immunity for alleged actions in the 2016 Russia collusion controversy. In an interview with Benny Johnson, Davis argued that immunity applies only to official acts during a president’s term, not to post-presidency cover-ups. He claimed Obama, along with James Comey, John Brennan, and James Clapper, participated in an ongoing conspiracy to fabricate Russian interference claims against Donald Trump’s campaign, citing a December 2016 meeting and the Steele dossier. Davis asserted the statute of limitations remains open due to the conspiracy’s continuity, warning that “justice is coming.”
The allegations stem from a July 18 report by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which accuses Obama’s administration of manipulating intelligence to undermine Trump. Davis, a former Senate Judiciary Committee counsel who aided the confirmations of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, argued that Obama’s post-2017 actions strip him of immunity, a stance backed by some Trump allies. A 2024 Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. United States grants former presidents absolute immunity for core constitutional duties but not for unofficial acts, leaving room for legal debate.
Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff, dismiss the claims as baseless, pointing to a 2017 Senate report confirming Russian interference. Legal scholars argue treason charges require clear evidence of intent, unlikely met by redacted documents. As the Justice Department reviews Gabbard’s referral, the controversy raises a critical question: is this a pursuit of accountability or a politically driven attack on Obama’s legacy?
