Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Trump Accuses Obama of ‘Tapping’ his Phone during Campaign | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55368679
Caption:

US President Donald Trump speaks to fourth grade students as he tours Saint Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Florida, on March 3, 2017 with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (3rd L), US Sen. Marco Rubio (L), White House senior adviser Jared Kushner (2nd L) and Kushner’s wife Ivanka Trump. – NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP


US President Donald Trump on Saturday accused his predecessor Barack Obama of “tapping” his phone during last year’s White House campaign, however, no evidence was provided to support the charge.

Trump made the accusation in a series of tweets from his personal Twitter account.

He went on to ask, “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!”

In another tweet, Trump made a veiled threat of prosecuting Obama, saying “a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to the election.”

Trump compared the alleged activity to “McCarythism,” as well as “Nixon/Watergate.”

“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!”

The US president also hinted – through further tweets – on Obama’s connection with the Russian ambassador closely linked to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

“Just out: The same Russian Ambassador that met Jeff Sessions visited the Obama White House 22 times, and 4 times last year alone.”

Sessions recently rejected accusations on misleading the Senate about meetings he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Flynn had already resigned after admitting he misled administration officials about discussions he had with Russia’s Ambassador.