US President Donald Trump said he has found out that his predecessor Barack Obama had his “wires tapped” before his victory in the November 2016 election.
The US president added that “nothing was found.”
“Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!” Trump said on his Twitter account.
Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 4 марта 2017 г.
Trump lashed out at Obama, calling him a “bad or sick guy.”
How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 4 марта 2017 г.
“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!” Trump added, commenting on the findings.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 4 марта 2017 г.
The statement comes amid reports of alleged Trump’s team’s ties with Russian officials. On February 15, The New York Times reported, citing phone records and intercepted calls, members of Trump’s presidential campaign team and several associates allegedly contacted Russian intelligence and government officials prior to the 2016 US election.
Both Washington and Moscow have repeatedly refuted the allegations.Earlier, the president slammed “fake news” reports that kept citing anonymous White House sources alleging chaos in his administration as well as contacts with Russian intelligence services.
Trump also accused Obama of being behind “really serious” leaks about the current administration and protests across the United States against his policies in an interview earlier this week.
Trump also commented on US Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ first meeting with Russian Ambassador in the US Sergei Kislyak. He said that it was the Obama administration that “set up” the talks.
“The first meeting Jeff Sessions had with the Russian Amb was set up by the Obama Administration under education program for 100 Ambs,” Trump wrote.
The first meeting Jeff Sessions had with the Russian Amb was set up by the Obama Administration under education program for 100 Ambs……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 4 марта 2017 г.
He emphasized that the Russian envoy visited the White House under the Obama administration a total of 22 times.
Just out: The same Russian Ambassador that met Jeff Sessions visited the Obama White House 22 times, and 4 times last year alone.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 4 марта 2017 г.
On March 1, the Washington Post reported that Jeff Sessions had two conversations with Sergei Kislyak last year while he was a US senator. Sessions denied allegations he misled the Senate and said he is prepared to recuse himself from the investigation if the need arises.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on March 2 that Moscow does not know of any meetings between Sessions and Kislyak and does not wish to interfere in the “emotionally-charged” scandal.
Reports of Sessions’ talks with the Russian ambassador to Washington come after the resignation of former US National Security Advisor Michael Flynn on February 13, who stepped down after media reported based on leaked information that he had misled the Trump administration about the extent of his talks with Kislyak.
The ex-national security adviser did not concede any wrongdoing in the resignation letter, saying that he inadvertently briefed Vice President Mike Pence and others with incomplete information regarding the communications.
Moreover, the White House said on Friday that Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner also met the Russian diplomat in December 2016.
SputnikNews