President Donald Trump has jumped back into the swamp of conspiracy theories with another attack on his predecessor Barack Obama. This time, his charge is particularly explosive: accusing Obama of ordering wiretaps of Trump's phones during the 2016 campaign. A spokesman for Obama said the charge that Obama ordered surveillance of Trump is "simply false," and Trump provided no evidence to back up his allegation.
In a related development, FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trump's claim that Obama ordered the tapping of Trump's phones, according to the New York Times. Comey says the claim should be corrected because it suggests falsely that the FBI broke the law by conducting illegal wiretaps. RELATED CONTENT President Donald Trump delivers his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. The Enemy Within
If true, Trump's charges would be a bombshell. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has been a Trump critic, says it would be the biggest scandal since Watergate, which toppled President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who also has been a critic of Trump, said the president owes the public an explanation. Sasse called the current political environment a "civilization-warping crisis of public trust" intensified by Trump. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump had made a "spectacularly reckless allegation" against Obama without offering evidence.
What caused the uproar were two Trump tweets on Saturday that Obama had orchestrated a plot against him. Trump wrote: "Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" His remark was a reference to Wisconsin Sen. Joe McCarthy's often baseless accusations in his attempt to find and remove communists from the government in the 1950s.
This President is a lunatic.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
Every time there's some massive heat on Trump, he comes with some crazy ass comments to distract the masses.
Of course his supporters believe it simply because he name dropped obama, and that's their #trigger
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
WikiLeaks released the following list on February 23rd (see link here) of Obama Administration wire taps:
* The US National Security Agency bugged a private climate change strategy meeting; between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin; * Obama bugged Chief of Staff of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for long term interception targetting his Swiss phone; * Obama singled out the Director of the Rules Division of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Johann Human, and targetted his Swiss phone for long term interception; * Obama stole sensitive Italian diplomatic cables detailing how Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to help patch up his relationship with US President Barack Obama, who was refusing to talk to Netanyahu; * Obama intercepted top EU and Japanese trade ministers discussing their secret strategy and red lines to stop the US “extort[ing]” them at the WTO Doha arounds (the talks subsequently collapsed); * Obama explicitly targeted five other top EU economic officials for long term interception, including their French, Austrian and Belgium phone numbers; * Obama explicitly targetted the phones of Italy’s ambassador to NATO and other top Italian officials for long term interception; and * Obama intercepted details of a critical private meeting between then French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Merkel and Berluscon, where the latter was told the Italian banking system was ready to “pop like a cork”.
In addition to the above list we also know now that Obama wire tapped various individuals in the US media that were reporting information not flattering to the Obama Administration. It is widely known that Obama’s Justice Department targeted journalists with wiretaps in 2013:
* In 2013 the liberal Washington Post expressed outrage after the revelation that the Justice Department had investigated the newsgathering activities of a Fox News reporter as a potential crime in a probe of classified leaks. The reporter, Fox News’ James Rosen and his family, were part of an investigation into government officials anonymously leaking information to journalists. Rosen was not charged but his movements and actions were tracked. * Also in 2013, members of the Associated Press were also a target of the surveillance. The ultra liberal New Yorker even noted that “In moderate and liberal circles, at least, the phone-records scandal, partly because it involves the dear old A.P. and partly because it raises anew the specter of Big Brother, may well present the most serious threat to Obama’s reputation.” * Reporter Sharyl Attkisson said in 2014 that her personal computer and CBS laptop were hacked after she began filing stories about Benghazi that were unflattering to the Obama administration. A source who checked her laptop said the hacker used spyware “proprietary to a government agency,” according to an article in the New York Post.
Obama is no stranger to wire tapping. His administration tapped phones and computers of friends and foe alike.
WikiLeaks released the following list on February 23rd (see link here) of Obama Administration wire taps:
* The US National Security Agency bugged a private climate change strategy meeting; between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin; * Obama bugged Chief of Staff of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for long term interception targetting his Swiss phone; * Obama singled out the Director of the Rules Division of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Johann Human, and targetted his Swiss phone for long term interception; * Obama stole sensitive Italian diplomatic cables detailing how Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to help patch up his relationship with US President Barack Obama, who was refusing to talk to Netanyahu; * Obama intercepted top EU and Japanese trade ministers discussing their secret strategy and red lines to stop the US “extort[ing]” them at the WTO Doha arounds (the talks subsequently collapsed); * Obama explicitly targeted five other top EU economic officials for long term interception, including their French, Austrian and Belgium phone numbers; * Obama explicitly targetted the phones of Italy’s ambassador to NATO and other top Italian officials for long term interception; and * Obama intercepted details of a critical private meeting between then French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Merkel and Berluscon, where the latter was told the Italian banking system was ready to “pop like a cork”.
In addition to the above list we also know now that Obama wire tapped various individuals in the US media that were reporting information not flattering to the Obama Administration. It is widely known that Obama’s Justice Department targeted journalists with wiretaps in 2013:
* In 2013 the liberal Washington Post expressed outrage after the revelation that the Justice Department had investigated the newsgathering activities of a Fox News reporter as a potential crime in a probe of classified leaks. The reporter, Fox News’ James Rosen and his family, were part of an investigation into government officials anonymously leaking information to journalists. Rosen was not charged but his movements and actions were tracked. * Also in 2013, members of the Associated Press were also a target of the surveillance. The ultra liberal New Yorker even noted that “In moderate and liberal circles, at least, the phone-records scandal, partly because it involves the dear old A.P. and partly because it raises anew the specter of Big Brother, may well present the most serious threat to Obama’s reputation.” * Reporter Sharyl Attkisson said in 2014 that her personal computer and CBS laptop were hacked after she began filing stories about Benghazi that were unflattering to the Obama administration. A source who checked her laptop said the hacker used spyware “proprietary to a government agency,” according to an article in the New York Post.
Obama is no stranger to wire tapping. His administration tapped phones and computers of friends and foe alike.
Yeah. This type of thing has never happened.
Yes, Trump is a lunatic... and i'd like to see some proof on all these..
Otherwise, it's a wishlist of what Trump would like you to think
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
Trump says he was wiretapped by the Obama administration as reported by some media outlets. He wants Congress to investigate this matter.
I notice all the usual suspects have come out to say its a lie. The usual MSM has jumped to Obama's defense. Nice to see them acting like reporters again, asking questions and not just accepting that Obama is guilty like they do on any story that comes out about Trump.
The President says he has nothing else to say about it as it is in the hands of Congress now.
So, where is the evidence?
-We had everyone here and across America say at one time or another that Comey was a political hack and a confused jerk.
-We have the former head of Obama's NSA come out and say there were zero wiretaps while he was in office. This is the same guy who told us to our faces on national tv that the NSA was not monitoring private Americans email, texts, and other conversations which turned out to be a lie.
-We have Obama's IRS saying they did not stop Conservative groups from organizing during the 2012 election, destroying internal emails while lying to the public and Congress.
-Recently we found out Obama had a secret slush fund, hidden in the DOD budget where he could and did secretly disperse $3 Billion to Liberal/Progressive protest groups across the Nation.
So to me this is mostly circumstantial evidence of corruption but it certainly shows WHERE THERE IS SMOKE, THERE IS OFTEN FIRE!!!
Trump has that heat on his ass with the Russian connection, got two people fired already, his AG had to take a step back, and the reports that he went off on his staff.
Gotta find a way to take the heat off a bit. His solution: start making up things on Twitter!!!
Lmao, what a freaking fraud.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Proof? Do some reading. All the instances in the article have already been proven. The media even when ape when they were found to have tapped James Rosen, even though he was with Fox News.
And now you see the trumpazee's coming out the woodwork to defend him.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Trump says he was wiretapped by the Obama administration as reported by some media outlets. He wants Congress to investigate this matter.
Levin said it on his radio show on Thursday, Brietbart picked it up..
I notice all the usual suspects have come out to say its a lie. I assume your talking about Clapper and Coumy right?
The usual MSM has jumped to Obama's defense. Nice to see them acting like reporters again, asking questions and not just accepting that Obama is guilty like they do on any story that comes out about Trump. Yes, just about every media outlet has jumped on Trump because nobody, not even the intel community is saying it's credible. Trump did this to distract from the Russia thing.
The President says he has nothing else to say about it as it is in the hands of Congress now.
He's running a hiding.. as usual, he's a baby.
So, where is the evidence? Time will tell, but thus far, there isn't any
-We had everyone here and across America say at one time or another that Comey was a political hack and a confused jerk.I think he is as well.
-We have the former head of Obama's NSA come out and say there were zero wiretaps while he was in office. This is the same guy who told us to our faces on national tv that the NSA was not monitoring private Americans email, texts, and other conversations which turned out to be a lie.
I assume you are talking about Clapper. He didn't say there weren't any wiretaps. What he said was there weren't any wire taps on the Candidate trump or the president elect Trump.
-We have Obama's IRS saying they did not stop Conservative groups from organizing during the 2012 election, destroying internal emails while lying to the public and Congress.
-Recently we found out Obama had a secret slush fund, hidden in the DOD budget where he could and did secretly disperse $3 Billion to Liberal/Progressive protest groups across the Nation.
So to me this is mostly circumstantial evidence of corruption but it certainly shows WHERE THERE IS SMOKE, THERE IS OFTEN FIRE!!!
Show me proof....if you got it
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
And now you see the trumpazee's coming out the woodwork to defend him.
Are you equating me to a chimp?
No, it was a shot.
But...You feel some type of way about it? Cause if you're mad, then yes, I am calling you a chimp. #trigger
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
And now you see the trumpazee's coming out the woodwork to defend him.
Boy if somebody said that to you swish...
Not really, I've been called way worse here. You should see some of the disgusting PM's I've gotten here.
Last edited by Swish; 03/06/1710:45 AM.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Proof? Do some reading. All the instances in the article have already been proven. The media even when ape when they were found to have tapped James Rosen, even though he was with Fox News.
Well there is it,, FOX news... I don't buy what FOX, MSNBC say ever. EVER.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
Proof? Do some reading. All the instances in the article have already been proven. The media even when ape when they were found to have tapped James Rosen, even though he was with Fox News.
Well there is it,, FOX news... I don't buy what FOX, MSNBC say ever. EVER.
And you don't read either. Staying willfully ignorant because it suits your political views is a bad way to live. The article on Rosen was reported in the New York Times, and they went batty over it. It seems they believe that wiretapping journalists is a huge 1st Amendment problem, even when it is someone from Fox. Do you believe the NYTs? You may as well stick your head in the sand, put your butt up, and let the government have their way with you.
Proof? Do some reading. All the instances in the article have already been proven. The media even when ape when they were found to have tapped James Rosen, even though he was with Fox News.
Well there is it,, FOX news... I don't buy what FOX, MSNBC say ever. EVER.
And you don't read either. Staying willfully ignorant because it suits your political views is a bad way to live. The article on Rosen was reported in the New York Times, and they went batty over it. It seems they believe that wiretapping journalists is a huge 1st Amendment problem, even when it is someone from Fox. Do you believe the NYTs? You may as well stick your head in the sand, put your butt up, and let the government have their way with you.
This coming from an Guy who thinks climate change is a hoax.
The only people with their head in the sand is you and the rest of the trump supporters.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
You can get butt hurt at a shot all you want. I'm sure you aren't the only person who's gonna attempt to make this about me.
But the reality doesn't change with regards to you being blindly led by whatever trump is saying. It doesn't change the fact that you got played and don't know how to handle it. It doesn't change the fact that you yourself are a hypocrite, as you cried and whined and threw hissy fits about hillary's alleged lies, yet come out of nowhere to defend Trumps blatant ass lies, for no other reason than you hate obama.
So cry about what I called you all you want, at the end of the day, you got played by trump, and you're acting like somebody with Stockholm syndrome.
Your president is a draft dodging, no taxes paying, sexual assaulting, child raping, lying ass Russian puppet. And you support that. So it says a lot more about you than it does about me and my insult toward you.
Birds of a feather flock together, after all.
Yes, I just called you a bird. Get offended over that, too, snowflake.
Last edited by Swish; 03/06/1711:04 AM.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Proof? Do some reading. All the instances in the article have already been proven. The media even when ape when they were found to have tapped James Rosen, even though he was with Fox News.
Well there is it,, FOX news... I don't buy what FOX, MSNBC say ever. EVER.
And you don't read either. Staying willfully ignorant because it suits your political views is a bad way to live. The article on Rosen was reported in the New York Times, and they went batty over it. It seems they believe that wiretapping journalists is a huge 1st Amendment problem, even when it is someone from Fox. Do you believe the NYTs? You may as well stick your head in the sand, put your butt up, and let the government have their way with you.
I don't read... Yes of course, I don't agree with you so it must be my problem, not the problem of a nutbag president.
Clever....
Now, tell me where the proof is about wire taps on trump tower?
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
As Washington continues to reel from President Trump’s evidence-free assertion that his phones were wiretapped by former President Barack Obama before the election, former Central Intelligence Agency director Michael Hayden says it seems Trump forgot something during his weekend Twitter flurry.
“It looks as if the president just for a moment forgot that he was president,” Hayden said on Fox News on Monday. “Why didn’t he simply use the powers of the presidency to ask the acting director of national intelligence, the head of the FBI, to confirm or deny the story he apparently read from Breitbart the evening before?”
Hayden, a critic of Trump during the campaign, has served in national security roles in both Democratic and Republican administrations. In addition to the top job at the CIA, he has served as director of the National Security Agency and as principal deputy director of national intelligence.
On Saturday morning, Trump unleashed a series of tweets claiming Obama had wiretapped the phones at Trump Tower prior to the 2016 election. Trump provided no citations to back up the claim, and a spokesman for the former president branded the accusation “simply false.”
Related: Without evidence, Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower
“Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!” he declared from his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Fla., where Trump once again spent the weekend.
“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!” he added.
It wasn’t clear what, exactly, Trump was referring to as he raged against his predecessor, whom he labeled a “bad (or sick) guy!” And the White House did not clarify from whom Trump had “just learned” this new information.
But a report published Friday by Breitbart News quoted conservative radio host Mark Levin, who outlined the alleged steps the Obama took “in its last months to undermine Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and, later, his new administration.” The Washington Post reported that the Breitbart article had been passed around in the White House ahead of Trump’s tweets.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist in the White House, is a former chief executive of Breitbart.
Sunday Shows react to Trump Allegations
The Sunday political shows tackled President Trump's explosive allegations about President Obama. White House press secretary Sean Spicer issued a subsequent statement on Sunday saying that “reports concerning potentially politically motivated investigations immediately ahead of the 2016 election are very troubling,” and that Trump is asking Congress to investigate.
“President Donald J. Trump is requesting that as part of their investigation into Russian activity, the congressional intelligence committees exercise their oversight authority to determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016,” the statement read. “Neither the White House nor the president will comment further until such oversight is conducted.”
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper categorically denied any suggestion that communications at Trump Tower were wiretapped before the election.
“There was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, as a candidate, or against his campaign,” Clapper said.
When asked by host Chuck Todd whether he could confirm or deny if a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Act order (or FISA) for such wiretapping existed, Clapper declared, “I can deny it.”
Also read: Trump’s evidence-free wiretap allegation dominates Sunday talk shows
And according to the New York Times, FBI Director James Comey asked the Justice Department to publicly reject Trump’s assertion.
“Comey has argued that the highly charged claim is false and must be corrected,” the paper said Sunday, citing “senior American officials” as its source.
Hayden said it’s absurd to think Obama would have been involved in ordering surveillance on Trump Tower.
“After the mid 1970s the authority was taken away from the president,” he said. “The only way you get there, if you get there at all, is [through] a judge. He has to have probable cause.”
The judge, Hayden explained, could then issue a warrant to the FBI under FISA.
Hayden also said it would be “unprecedented” for such an order to be released to the public, but then again, stranger things have already happened under President Trump.
“We’re off the map here,” Hayden said. “We are in unprecedented territory as well. So perhaps at some point in order to set the record straight we may do something unusual.”
White House defends wiretapping allegations on morning shows
Members of President Trump’s team appeared on several morning news shows Monday to defend his wiretapping accusations against President Obama, which he posted to Twitter over the weekend. On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” the former spy chief said he believes Trump’s tweeted wiretapping claim was strategic.
“He’s trying to detract attention from what was a very, very bad news cycle,” Hayden said. “The president of the United States put his reputation, the reputation of his predecessor, and the reputation of this nation at risk to get at least a ‘draw’ out of the next 24 hours.”
But host Joe Scarborough isn’t convinced there’s a method to Trump’s Twitter madness.
“His tweets this weekend suggest the president is not crazy like a fox. Just crazy,” Scarborough tweeted.
“Trump’s tweets are not an attempt to deflect,” he added. “They are a product of having no impulse control.”
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Whether or not he is a full blown lunatic will be determined based on whether there is any credibility to this incredibly serious charge he has thrown out there.
With that said, this isn't something you announce on twitter.. this isn't announcing Kim and Kanye's divorce, this is, if true, the single biggest political shake-up since Watergate.. and he threw it out there on Twitter... He has got to stop doing that.
Trump's a textbook and highly successful narcissist. With him as president? It's like opening up the National Enquirer every morning, reading about him in the news. Still, I'll give him his chance. I'll give him this much: He's never boring!
Whether or not he is a full blown lunatic will be determined based on whether there is any credibility to this incredibly serious charge he has thrown out there.
With that said, this isn't something you announce on twitter.. this isn't announcing Kim and Kanye's divorce, this is, if true, the single biggest political shake-up since Watergate.. and he threw it out there on Twitter... He has got to stop doing that.
It's only a big shakeup if its true AND if it was warrantless. If it followed due process, there's nothing to see here beyond what were they investigating Trump for...
Theee guys in the oval are citing reports from Briebart as their claim.
Man......
On top of that, trump watches what? How many hours of tv a day? That's kind of odd.
Last edited by Swish; 03/06/1704:50 PM.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Your liberal side has mislead you again and you are not seeing clearly what he is up to with this.
Please enlighten me then... because it looks like a giant diversion to focus attention away from other stuff that's going on.
I won't, not yet. I will not be the leaker here, give it a few more days. You are an intelligent person, take a look at the whole thing and think it thru. You will see it. To me its like dear old Dad is alive and well and about 3 days ahead of everyone else.
On a very serious subject...Trump is at risk of having his ability to carry out the duties of commander in chief, QUESTIONED.
Could Trump lose authority over the nuclear football? I'm not sure we have ever had a President's fitness as CIC questioned, so there is not a precedent that I'm aware of.
I don't believe Trump fully understands what is at stake if he continues to make questionable claims.
...bottom line, we don't want a nut starting a nuclear war.
But you have to be worried about the amount of money he owes to foreigners. 650 million, is that all to Russians? Or spread throughout Europe?
I know if you owed too much money, or had too much debt, sometimes you couldn't even get a security clearance because of the risk of you selling information.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Since when does this President listen to "fake news". I like how the article points out that Trump "forgot he was President" as he has the best tools in the world available to him at ANY given moment.
Come on, this is a total BS strategy by the White House and anyone can smell it a mile away.
Whether or not he is a full blown lunatic will be determined based on whether there is any credibility to this incredibly serious charge he has thrown out there.
With that said, this isn't something you announce on twitter.. this isn't announcing Kim and Kanye's divorce, this is, if true, the single biggest political shake-up since Watergate.. and he threw it out there on Twitter... He has got to stop doing that.
It's only a big shakeup if its true AND if it was warrantless. If it followed due process, there's nothing to see here beyond what were they investigating Trump for...
I disagree. If it is investigated and shown that there is nothing there, then Trump, the sitting President, just accused the former President of some very serious crimes without merit. No matter what the outcome of this is, it's going to be YUUUUUGE!!!!
Trump already has zero credibility with a lot of the American people, if he slung some baseless accusation of a very serious crime against the former President, he will have even less with those who are still trying to hang in there and support him. If he just made that up, the only supporters he has left will be the ones that just can't get over their hatred for Obama.
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