House Intel Chairman: "The largest, deepest, widest hoax we’ve ever seen in American history."

July 30, 2025 - House Intel Chairman Rick Crawford exposed the deep state's Russia collusion hoax as an Obama-directed psychological operation against the American people during a July 30, 2025, interview on The Federalist Radio Hour. Crawford, who joined the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in early 2017 amid the hoax's rollout, detailed how declassified documents from a 2020 HPSCI majority staff report reveal a deliberate narrative crafted to undermine President Trump's 2016 victory.

In the interview, Crawford highlighted the January 6, 2017, Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) as a key tool in this psyop, filled with dubious sourcing and ignoring Intelligence Community Directive 203 standards. "Forgive me for being coarse, but these [intelligence] analysts... crapped all over ICD 203. They did not follow it in the slightest," Crawford stated. He accused then-CIA Director John Brennan and DNI James Clapper of pushing a false story that Trump colluded with Vladimir Putin, despite evidence suggesting Putin was indifferent or even favored Hillary Clinton.

The report, declassified by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard last week after years of resistance, shows the ICA relied on the discredited Steele dossier—funded by Clinton's campaign—and weak, unverifiable intelligence. Crawford noted Brennan's insistence on including the dossier, responding to its flaws with, "Yes, but doesn’t it ring true?" This, Crawford said, prioritized narrative over truth: "It didn’t matter if it was true... It rang true so it was going to be central to their assessment."

Crawford didn't spare the corporate media, calling them "willing accomplices" who amplified the hoax. He pointed to leaks like the Steele dossier to Yahoo News, which fueled the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane probe, as evidence of coordinated efforts to discredit Trump. "It’s not as though the media were just reporting facts... They’re willing accomplices," he emphasized, noting their refusal to admit involvement even now.

The chairman expressed frustration over accountability, with perpetrators like Brennan enjoying lucrative post-government careers as media experts. "They seem to be proud of it," Crawford said, labeling the hoax "the largest, deepest, widest hoax we’ve ever seen in American history." Despite hopes for justice, he warned of potential legal loopholes protecting those involved.

This revelation, building on Gabbard's July 18 briefing accusing Obama of orchestrating the plot, reinforces demands for a full reckoning. The Justice Department is reviewing the documents, with an imminent release of a Durham report annex expected to contradict testimony from Brennan, Comey, and Clinton. As Crawford's interview underscores, exposing this deep state operation is essential to restoring trust in our institutions and ensuring no repeat of such abuses.