Close X
Friday, November 15, 2024
ADVT 
International

Donald Trump's Wire-Tapping Claims Simply False: Obama Spokesman

The Canadian Press, 04 Mar, 2017 12:42 PM
    US President Donald Trump's accusation that his predecessor Barack Obama had his "wires tapped" in Trump Tower before Election Day is "simply false", Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis said on Saturday.
     
    "A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," Xinhua news agency quoted Lewis as saying in a statement.
     
    "As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false," said Lewis.
     
    Trump claimed in a tweet storm on Saturday morning that Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower before his election victory, but offered no evidence.
     
    Trump said: "Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"
     
    He also called Obama a "bad, or sick, guy". 
     
    "Is it legal for a sitting President to be 'wiretapping' a race for President prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!" Trump added in subsequent tweets. 
     
    "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!"
     
    The President then compared the alleged surveillance of his communications to Watergate -- the scandal in the early 1970s that brought down Republican President Richard Nixon after he ordered a break-in of the Democrats' Washington headquarters.
     
    However, Trump did not immediately provide evidence that Obama was responsible for surveillance on his property, the Hill newspaper reported.
     
     
    Moments earlier, Trump had also linked Obama to Attorney General Jeff Sessions's meetings last year with Russia's ambassador to Washington.
     
    "The first meeting Jeff Sessions had with the Russian Amb was set up by the Obama Administration under education programme for 100 Ambs," he tweeted.
     
    Sessions on Thursday said he would recuse himself from any investigations into Russia's links to Trump's team, after massive outrage over the revelations that he met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak twice during the campaign, then denied doing so during his confirmation hearings.
     
    Trump also blasted Obama for meeting Kislyak 22 times and tweeted: "Just out: The same Russian Ambassador that met Jeff Sessions visited the Obama White House 22 times, and 4 times last year alone."
     
    Trump's team has sought to push back on accusations of ties with Russia by pointing out instances of Democrats meeting Kislyak, according to the report. 
     
    Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was ousted last month after revelations that he misled top White House officials about the nature of his conversations with Kislyak.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Indian-Origin Doctor Killed After Being Hit By Car In London

    Indian-Origin Doctor Killed After Being Hit By Car In London
      Dr Jasjot Singhota was knocked over near her home in south London and rushed to King's College Hospital nearby.

    Indian-Origin Doctor Killed After Being Hit By Car In London

    Starbucks To Hire 10,000 Refugees Over Next 5 Years

    Starbucks says it will hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years, a response to President Donald Trump's indefinite suspension of Syrian refugees and temporary travel bans that apply to six other Muslim-majority nations.

    Starbucks To Hire 10,000 Refugees Over Next 5 Years

    Imran Khan Says 'Hope Donald Trump Imposes Visa Ban On Pakistan'

    Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, on Sunday, said he hopes US President Donald Trump imposes visa restrictions on Pakistan as he believes that the move would help Pakistanis develop their own country.

    Imran Khan Says 'Hope Donald Trump Imposes Visa Ban On Pakistan'

    Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal Vows To Fight Trump's Immigration Ban

    Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal Vows To Fight Trump's Immigration Ban
    "President Trump's barbaric executive orders have thrown our nation's ports into turmoil and struck fear into the hearts of Muslims across the country," Ms Jayapal said.

    Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal Vows To Fight Trump's Immigration Ban

    Police Suspect Richmond, B.C., Man's Death Targeted Homicide

    RICHMOND, B.C. — RCMP say they're investigating the death of a man who was taken to a Richmond, B.C., hospital Friday night.

    Police Suspect Richmond, B.C., Man's Death Targeted Homicide

    Indian-Origin Magician Charged With Fraud In Singapore

    Indian-Origin Magician Charged With Fraud In Singapore
    S. Chandran, 35, owner of Paradize Consultancy, was charged on Friday and faced 58 charges under the Income Tax Act, the Strait Times reported. 

    Indian-Origin Magician Charged With Fraud In Singapore