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Donald Trump claims Barack Obama ordered 'wiretap' on Trump Tower, but provides no evidence | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Donald Trump has claimed Barack Obama ordered his offices in New York to be "wiretapped" during the US election. | |
The allegation - made without showing any evidence - included calling Mr Obama a "bad, or sick, guy". | The allegation - made without showing any evidence - included calling Mr Obama a "bad, or sick, guy". |
"Terrible!" the President tweeted early on Saturday morning. "Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" | |
Soon after he added: "Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A new low! | Soon after he added: "Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A new low! |
"I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to election!" | "I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to election!" |
Mr Trump also suggested that Mr Obama was "sick", writing: "How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" | |
Despite the severity of the claim, Mr Trump did not immediately provide evidence that Mr Obama was responsible for surveillance on his property. | |
Mr Obama's spokesman denied the allegations, saying any suggestion he or his staff had “ordered surveillance on any US citizen” was false. | |
Kevin Lewis added that a “cardinal rule” of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered in any Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of political influence. | |
“As part of that practice, neither Obama nor White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is false,” he said. | |
Democratic commentators were quick to defend the former President. | Democratic commentators were quick to defend the former President. |
Ben Rhodes, a foreign policy adviser to Mr Obama, tweeted: "No President can order a wiretap. Those restrictions were put in place to protect citizens from people like you." | Ben Rhodes, a foreign policy adviser to Mr Obama, tweeted: "No President can order a wiretap. Those restrictions were put in place to protect citizens from people like you." |
And Representative Eric Swalwell, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News: "I think this is just the president up early doing his routine tweeting. | And Representative Eric Swalwell, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News: "I think this is just the president up early doing his routine tweeting. |
"Presidents don't wiretap anyone. These are pursued by the Department of Justice in accordance with the FBI and signed off by a judge." | "Presidents don't wiretap anyone. These are pursued by the Department of Justice in accordance with the FBI and signed off by a judge." |
Congressman Ted Lieu added: "Mr President: If there was a wiretap at Trump Tower, that means a fed judge found probable cause of crime which means you are in deep s***." | |
The President has a long history of making unfounded and sometimes bizarre claims and it is not the first time he has used them to attack his predecessor. | The President has a long history of making unfounded and sometimes bizarre claims and it is not the first time he has used them to attack his predecessor. |
Mr Trump has been a strong proponent of the 'birther' conspiracy theory, which held that Mr Obama was not born in the US. | Mr Trump has been a strong proponent of the 'birther' conspiracy theory, which held that Mr Obama was not born in the US. |
Using anonymous sources - which he has criticised the press for utilising - Mr Trump has at least five times alleged that Mr Obama was not born in the US and that his birth certificate was a "fraud". | Using anonymous sources - which he has criticised the press for utilising - Mr Trump has at least five times alleged that Mr Obama was not born in the US and that his birth certificate was a "fraud". |
The tirade came at end of a week in which Mr Trump had been praised widely for acting in a more Presidential fashion, during his first address to Congress. | The tirade came at end of a week in which Mr Trump had been praised widely for acting in a more Presidential fashion, during his first address to Congress. |