Trump shares Truth Social post calling for Obama's arrest over treason
President Donald Trump shared a Truth Social post late Monday, May 11, calling for former President Barack Obama's arrest and accusing him of treason, without providing evidence. The post was one of approximately 50 messages Trump shared or reposted between late Monday and early Tuesday morning, a period during which he was scheduled to depart for a summit in China. Trump amplified posts claiming Obama engaged in surveillance of Trump Tower during the 2016 election, a charge the Justice Department found no evidence for in a 2017 court filing. The posts also revived other long-debunked conspiracy theories, including birther claims and accusations about Clinton's email server. Multiple posts explicitly named Obama as a priority target for arrest on charges of treason and seditious conspiracy. Major news outlets reported the posts contained false and unverified claims throughout the overnight posting spree.
Key facts
- Trump shared or reposted approximately 50 posts on Truth Social between 10:14 p.m. Monday and early Tuesday morning, May 12, 2026
- The posts accused Obama of treason related to alleged 2016 surveillance of Trump Tower without presenting evidence
- The Justice Department filed in court in 2017 that it had no records supporting Trump's claim Trump Tower was wiretapped in 2016
- The posts included multiple debunked conspiracy theories and a fabricated quote attributed to Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana
- Trump was scheduled to depart for a China summit with President Xi Jinping the day after the posting spree
- About a dozen posts directly attacked Obama by name with inflammatory language
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning outlets frame Trump's posts as dangerous, unfounded conspiracy theories showing a fixation on revenge. They emphasize the posts included debunked claims, false quotes, and AI-generated content, characterizing the behavior as evidence of problematic psychological patterns and use of disinformation to maintain political power without evidence.
Limits of this briefing
No significant conservative or right-leaning outlets were found in the search results explicitly defending or endorsing Trump's claims in detailed articles. The coverage is heavily weighted toward mainstream and progressive sources; a fully balanced assessment would require perspectives from conservative media outlets articulating any counter-arguments or supporting rationale.
Sources
- CNN: In wild late-night posting spree, Trump attacks Obama with imaginary quote and false conspiracy theories Centre
- Washington Post: Trump shares post calling for Obama's arrest Centre
- MSNBC (Rachel Maddow Show): As part of a weird online tantrum, Trump calls for Obama's arrest (again) Left
- IBTimes UK: Trump Goes Scorched Earth: Fixates on Obama's Arrest in Latest Social Media Blitz Centre
- NZ Herald: Donald Trump shares post calling for Barack Obama's arrest Centre