New information ‘ means I’m right,’ Trump tells ‘ Time’
President Trump is touting the House Intelligence Committee chairman’s assertion that spy agencies engaged in “incidental collection” of Trump associates’ communications, saying it is evidence to support his claim that President Obama had Trump Tower “wiretapped” during last year’s presidential campaign.
In an interview with Time magazine Wednesday, Trump pointed to a statement by Devin Nunes that members of the Trump transition team had their communications swept up in electronic surveillance programs.
And while he said that surveillance appeared to be legal, he raised concerns that the names of U. S. citizens improperly made their way into intelligence reports.
Nunes himself said that revelation — which comes from dozens of intelligence reports he has reviewed — does not back up Trump’s claim that Obama ordered surveillance on Trump’s offices. But Trump dropped that nuance in a phone interview with Time conducted Wednesday.
“Nunes said, so that means I’m right,” Trump said.
Trump also continued to raise the possibility that Obama was personally involved in directing the surveillance.
“Well, I don’t know where these wire- taps came from. They came from someplace. That is what they should find out,” he told Time.
Legally, wiretaps would come from one of two places: A criminal investigation, or surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In either case, the eavesdropping would have to be approved by a judge.
On Monday, FBI Director James Comey told the House Intelligence Committee that Obama did not authorize Trump to be wiretapped. “The FBI and the Justice Department have no information to support’’ Trump’s wiretap assertions, Comey said.
Trump complained that one administration official apparently caught up in that surveillance — former national security adviser Michael Flynn — had his name leaked to the press after he discussed sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. “Who released General Flynn’s name?” he said. “Who released my conversations with Australia, and who released my conversation with Mexico?”
Trump said they should be in prison. “That’s the story, these leakers, they are disgusting. These are horrible people,” he said.
In the Time interview, Trump was unapologetic about a series of unsubstantiated statements he’s made about surveillance, terrorism, election fraud and his political opponents, often referring to news accounts to back up his claims. “Why do you say that I have to apologize? I’m just quoting the newspaper,” he said.