Though it seems like a new phrase blaring from President Trump’s Twitter megaphone and the news coverage that follows, the disinformation-meets-conspiracy theory cocktail known as “Obamagate” has origins that date to Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign.
It has acted as a catchall phrase for Mr. Obama’s online enemies whenever they perceived wrongdoing, particularly in the aftermath of the 2012 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Yet it has remained largely dormant for years, passed around only on the fringes of internet message boards and social media platforms, save the occasional flare-up on Fox News or conservative radio. Now the term has become a vessel for the president to fill with undefined and unsubstantiated charges against his predecessor.
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Source: New Conspiracy Theory, Familiar Path – The New York Times