The long-simmering feud between President Trump and former President Obama erupted this week after Trump accused his predecessor of treason, a startling escalation in the fight between the two leaders.

The Trump administration’s barrage of attacks and document releases around the Obama administration’s handling of Russian interference in the 2016 election prompted a rare public rebuke from Obama against the current Oval Office occupant.

The confrontation pits two of the most powerful figures in politics, and arguably the most popular Republican and Democratic politicians in the country, against one another.

For Trump and the White House, going after Obama, particularly over Russian influence in the 2016 election, is seen as a political winner and a way to unite the party amid a turbulent stretch born out of the Trump Justice Department's handling of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and files related to his criminal case.

The Russia investigation has been a fixation of GOP lawmakers and members of Trump’s base dating back to 2017 and has fueled distrust in the FBI and intelligence community.

“The leader of the gang was President Obama. ... He’s guilty. It’s not a question,” Trump said Tuesday in the Oval Office. “I like to say let’s give it time. It’s there. He’s guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s office released documents last Friday and again on Wednesday purporting to show Obama and some of his top aides misled the public about the nature of Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.

Gabbard has alleged Obama officials “

© The Hill