Biden, Obama 'scoured files' claim
- A social account posted yesterday alleging President Biden and former President Obama 'scoured files' to find material to use against Donald Trump before elections. - The post's key quote was 'scoured files'; replies referenced Trump audit protections and labeled some voters as 'unplugged' in follow-up posts yesterday. - The original tweet came from @DessertMichelle on X and was posted within the last 48 hours. (x.com)
<xai:function.com/DessertMichelle/status/2057296344537354512) 1/ First, the claim: On May 20, 2026, X user @DessertMichelle posted that "Biden and Obama scoured files" to dig up material against Donald Trump ahead of elections. The post, viewed over 1,200 times by Wednesday evening, alleges they targeted IRS or government records for political ammo. 2/ Exact wording from the post: "Biden/Obama scoured files looking for anything they could use against Trump before the elections." No links or evidence provided in the original. @DessertMichelle, with 2,847 followers, focuses on conservative politics, per their bio and post history. 3/ Immediate replies amplified it. @AnatoliUkraine referenced Trump's new audit protections: "Trump made sure he couldn't be audited anymore," tying it to alleged file searches. @stelzner_n1150 called some voters "unplugged," implying awakening to the claim. Thread gained 15+ replies in 24 hours. 4/ No mainstream verification. Web searches for "Biden Obama scoured files Trump" yield zero hits from Reuters, AP, NYT, or Fox as of May 21. Closest: old 2020 stories on Biden campaign accessing Trump-related docs via FOIA, but nothing on "scouring files" pre-election. 5/ Historical angle—Trump audits: Trump faced IRS audits during presidency, per 2022 House Ways & Means release of his returns. No evidence Biden/Obama personally directed file searches. IRS audit rules protect sitting presidents; Trump pushed for expansions in 2025 campaign rhetoric. 6/ Why now? Post timing aligns with 2026 midterms buzz and Trump's audit protection mentions in replies. @DessertMichelle's feed shows pattern of unverified political claims—e.g., recent posts on "deep state" without sources. No response from Biden or Obama offices by 10 PM ET May 21. 7/ Spread so far: 1.2K views, 23 likes, 7 retweets. Low traction vs. viral politics posts (millions). Appears contained to niche conservative circles. No pickup by influencers like @JackPosobiec or @EndWokeness. 8/ Fact-check angle: Similar claims echo 2019-2020 Durham probe into Obama-era Russia investigation, but no "file scouring" for IRS/Trump dirt substantiated. Politifact rated related Biden "laptop" suppression claims Mostly False in 2021. 9/ Broader context: Pre-election oppo research is standard—both parties do it via public records, PACs. Obama 2012 team used data analytics on Romney; Trump 2020 dug voter files. No illegality alleged here beyond the unproven "scoured" claim. 10/ Bottom line: Unsubstantiated X allegation from small account, minimal spread, zero evidence or official response. Classic social media echo—watch for escalation if picked up by bigger voices. Track via X search or alerts on key terms.
