In a bizarre string of tweets fired off early Saturday morning, President Donald Trump alleged that his predecessor, Barack Obama, was “wire tapping” his phones at Trump Tower ahead of the November election. He offered no evidence to support those claims.
“Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory,” he wrote. “Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!” Trump added that a “good lawyer could make a great case” out of this “fact.”
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) March 4, 2017
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) March 4, 2017
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
According to Trump, this alleged “tapp” [sic], which he also compared to the Watergate scandal, occurred in October. He called Obama 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) March 4, 2017
Though Trump did not mention the source of these explosive allegations, conservative radio host Mark Levin and Breitbart News this week charged that the Obama administration used “police state” tactics to keep tabs on Trump’s campaign. Both outlets mention wiretaps at Trump Tower focused on a computer server suspected of links to Russian banks.
The President took additional shots at Obama in his tweetstorm, sent from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where he has spent most weekends since assuming the office.
Trump pointed out that Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak visited the Obama White House “22 times” during his administration, making the case that Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ two meetings with Kislyak while a campaign surrogate for Trump were nothing of note.
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) March 4, 2017
The distinction is that Sessions failed to disclose those meetings while testifying under oath during his confirmation hearings. On Thursday, under intensive pressure from both Democrats and a handful of Republicans, he recused himself from any investigation involving the Trump campaign.
Trump capped off his busy morning of tweets with a knock on Arnold Schwarzenegger, who announced Friday that he was leaving the “Celebrity Apprentice.”
“Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t voluntarily leaving the Apprentice, he was fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings, not by me,” the President wrote. “Sad end to great show.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t voluntarily leaving the Apprentice, he was fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings, not by me. Sad end to great show
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
25th Amendment.
If that’s true, they have probable cause.
My word. My freakin’ word. This man needs help. POTUS O will never leave his head. He’ll always be in 44’s shadow.
"“Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just
before the victory,” he wrote. “Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”
Trump added that a “good lawyer could make a great case” out of this
“fact.”
What is this guy taking? Speed overload?