Trump suggests Susan Rice committed crime

He says he’ll elaborate at ‘ right time’

WASHINGTON President Trump floated the possibility Wednesday that former national security adviser Susan Rice committed a crime, but he provided no evidence.

He told The New York Times that his disclosure was “going to be the biggest story” and that he would explain further “at the right time.”

Conservatives charged that for political reasons, Rice sought the “unmasking” of Trump associates listed in intelligence reports about intercepted communication with foreigners. Identities of Americans in such reports are normally “masked” by calling them “U. S. person 1” and “U. S. person 2.”

“I’m not going to dignify the president’s ludicrous charge with a comment,” Erin Pelton, a Rice spokeswoman, said Wednesday.

Rice has said asking intelligence officials for the identities of Americans listed in reports to better understand them is a “long- standing, established process” and she told MSNBC on Tuesday that allegations she or other Obama administration officials used intelligence for political purposes are “absolutely false.”

During the 2016 campaign and since his election last November, Trump has made multiple claims without providing evidence to back them up, including alleging massive voter fraud that prevented him from winning the major- ity of the popular vote and asserting that President Obama ordered telephones at Trump Tower wiretapped.

Trump told The New York Times on Wednesday that media outlets, including the Times, have not adequately covered the Rice story.

He also praised Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, whose show The O’Reilly Factor shed advertisers this week after a Times report revealed he or the company made payments to five women who accused him of sexual harassment or other inappropriate behavior.

“Personally, I think he shouldn’t have settled,” Trump told the Times in an Oval Office interview. “Because you should have taken it all the way. I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.”

Trump himself has faced criticism and lawsuits for alleged sexual harassment. Last October, a tape was disclosed of Trump bragging in 2005 about groping women. In the Access Hollywood tape, Trump said he would immediately kiss “beautiful” women when he encountered them.

“I don’t even wait,” Trump said. “And when you’re a star, they let you do it.”

Rice said allegations that she or other Obama administration officials used intelligence for political purposes are “absolutely false.”