Trump: Rice may have committed a crime
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he thought former national security adviser Susan Rice may have committed a crime by seeking the identities of Trump associates who were swept up in the surveillance of foreign officials by U.S. spy agencies and other Obama administration officials may also have been involved.
The president provided no evidence to back his claim. Current and former intelligence officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations have said nothing they have seen led them to believe Rice’s actions were unusual or unlawful. When Americans are swept up in surveillance of foreign officials by intelligence agencies, their identities are supposed to be obscured, but they can be revealed for national security reasons, and intelligence officials say it is a regular occurrence.
“I think it’s going to be the biggest story,” Trump said in an interview in the Oval Office. “It’s such an important story for our country and the world. It is one of the big stories of our time.”
He declined to say if he had personally reviewed new intelligence to bolster his claim but pledged to explain himself “at the right time.”
When asked if Rice, who has denied leaking the names of Trump associates under surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies, had committed a crime, the president said, “Do I think? Yes, I think.”
Trump did not make clear what crime he was accusing Rice of committing. It is legal and not unusual for a national security adviser to request the identities of Americans who are mentioned in intelligence reports provided. Leaking classified information could be a crime but no evidence has surfaced publicly indicating Rice did that, and she has denied any impropriety.
Trump also criticized media outlets, including The New York Times, for failing to adequately cover the Rice controversy — while singling out Fox News and host Bill O’Reilly for praise, despite a Times report of several women who have accused O’Reilly of harassment. The president then went on to defend O’Reilly, who has hosted him frequently over the years..
“I think he’s a person I know well — he is a good person,” said Trump.