Some Republican lawmakers on Sunday platformed the administration's recent claims that Obama-era officials waged a Russia-related conspiracy against President Trump — but stopped short of endorsing the president's allegations of "treason.

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.”

P resident Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Justice to investigate former president Barack Obama, after it claimed to have "irrefutable" evidence that Obama's administration falsely accused Trump's campaign of having ties to Russia in an attempt to undermine his 2016 election bid.