I am not convinced Obama was spying on the other candidates running in 2016. It was a really weak field and all of them had baggage Hilary could drag them down with.
Jeb Bush? Swamp creature.
Chris Christie, tons of skeletons in the closet.
Kasich, pure swamp creature.
Half the field were unelectable lightweights like Huckabee, Carson, and Rand Paul.
Even more so, all of them were swamp creatures who could be counted upon to maintain the status quo. I mean, look at GW Bush. He was a big time Swamper who really did not upset the establishment apple cart at all. Democrats and the media did their due diligence to beat him up in public, while he was partying with the Clintons in private. Even GW Bush was nothing for the New World Order elite to fear.
The only loose cannons in 2016 were Trump and Bernie Sanders. They successfully took down Bernie Sanders and then bought him off. They thought they had Trump many times and were SHOCKED on election night. They did not count on Trump resonating with real people who had given up on all politicians long ago, coming out after years and decades of not voting, to vote for Trump, believing him a true outsider.
Once Bernie was safely gone, Trump was the only loose cannon they feared.