CNN's Matt Lewis accuses vacationing Barack Obama of "shadow campaign" against Trump

Barack Obama seems to have been living his best life since leaving the White House, whether kiteboarding with Richard Branson, upping his fashion game, catching Broadway shows with his daughter Malia or getting random applause while walking through New York City.

But to many conservatives, he remains what he's always been for them: the boogeyman. On Thursday, right-wing blogger and commentator Matt Lewis went on CNN's New Day and accused Obama of waging a "shadow campaign" against President Donald Trump.

"Barack Obama does seem to be running a sort of shadow campaign against Donald Trump," Lewis said.

When asked for evidence to support this claim, Lewis replied: "Based on a lot of reporting. Whether it's — whether we're going to talk about the leaks from career bureaucrats; whether the story about Valerie Jarrett holing up inside Obama's Washington mansion; whether it's the [Former Attorney General] Eric Holder, he's tapped Eric Holder to sort of look into redistricting.

"I think Obama's a young, active guy," Lewis concluded. "He's living in D.C., and I think he probably is going to be pulling some strings to try to maybe help defeat Donald Trump."

For the record, Obama has been almost totally MIA during Trump's presidency. He's made no public comments about the president, and his redistricting campaign with Eric Holder was announced well before Trump won the November election. "Leaks from career bureaucrats," as Lewis says, could easily be shorthand for "in no way demonstrably related to Obama." And Valerie Jarrett hanging out at Obama's home constitutes something sinister to only the most paranoid mind.

Yet the implication that Obama — who, again, has been on vacation — is up to no good remains a fixture of conservative politics. In a tweet on March 4, Trump accused the former president of wiretapping his phone during the election without offering any evidence to support the claim:

Horror author Stephen King had perhaps the most fitting response to Trump's allegations.

"Trump should know OBAMA NEVER LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE!" King tweeted. "He's in the closet! HE HAS SCISSORS!"

If this seems outlandish, remember that you are only laughing to keep from crying.