A spokesman for former President Barack Obama issued on Tuesday a rare rebuke of President Trump, calling Mr. Trump’s pledge to use the Justice Department to go after his predecessor for treason “ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”
Mr. Trump, facing criticism over his administration’s handling of the files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, worked to deflect reporters’ questions Tuesday, accusing Mr. Obama of betraying his country and declaring: “It’s time to go after people.”
A spokesman for Mr. Obama condemned Mr. Trump’s comments as “bizarre allegations.”
During an extended rant at the White House on Tuesday, Mr. Trump rattled off a list of enemies he wanted his Justice Department to target, including his former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, as well as former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. (There are already F.B.I. inquiries into some targets of Mr. Trump, including Mr. Comey and Mr. Clapper.)
“It would be President Obama,” Mr. Trump said. “He started it, and Biden was there with him, and Comey was there, and Clapper, the whole group was there.”
Mr. Trump, speaking of Mr. Obama, added: “He’s guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of.”
Mr. Trump was referring to a report issued on Friday from Tulsi Gabbard, his director of national intelligence, that attempted to undermine the eight-year-old assessment that Russia favored his election in 2016.
Ms. Gabbard’s report, which claimed that top Obama administration officials carried out a “treasonous conspiracy” against Mr. Trump, contradicted a lengthy study by the Senate Intelligence Committee — and was signed by every Republican member of the committee, including Marco Rubio, now the secretary of state.
In fact, the Obama administration never contended that the Russians had manipulated votes; instead, his administration, and the Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee, concluded that Russia mounted a major effort to influence voters.
“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,” Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for Mr. Obama, said in a statement in response to Mr. Trump’s claims. “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.”
Mr. Rodenbush continued: “These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction. Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.”
Luke Broadwater covers the White House for The Times.
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