U.S. lawmakers say no proof of claims Trump Tower bugged

[webfact]

U.S. lawmakers say no proof of claims Trump Tower bugged

By Emily Stephenson and Caren Bohan

REUTERS

 

From left, Trump Towers I, II and III are shown in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, U.S. March 13, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers from both parties said on Sunday they had seen no proof to support the claim by Republican President Donald Trump that his predecessor Barack Obama had wiretapped him last year, adding pressure on Trump to explain or back off his repeated assertion.

 

Several Republicans last week urged Trump to apologize for the allegations he made in a series of tweets on March 4. The maelstrom also caused tension with key U.S. allies and threatens to distract Republicans from campaign promises on health care and taxes.

 

"I don't know the basis for President Trump's assertion," U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I do believe he owes us that explanation."

 

Collins said she supported Trump as president, but she wouldn't side with him if he "misstated what the facts are."

 

FBI Director James Comey is expected to be asked about Trump's claims when he testifies at a rare public hearing on Monday about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Russia has denied the assertion.

 

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee holding the hearing, called Trump's claims "patently false" and said he expected Comey to say as much on Monday.

 

The White House and Trump allies have sought to focus attention away from the controversies by calling for investigations of leaks to the news media.

 

Representative Devin Nunes, who leads the House intelligence panel, said leaks to reporters about former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn were criminal and that his panel was probing whether other names were leaked.

 

Trump has been dogged by allegations that his associates had ties to Russian officials. He fired Flynn last month after reports he had discussed sanctions with Russia's ambassador before Trump took office, without telling other White House officials.

 

"The one crime we know that's been committed is that one: the leaking of someone's name," Nunes said on "Fox News Sunday." "Were there any other names that were ... leaked out?"

 

NOT BACKING DOWN

 

Nunes, despite being a Trump ally who served on the president-elect's transition team, has not taken Trump's side on the wiretapping claim. On Fox, he said he did not believe it occurred.

 

Still, the White House has not backed down. The administration was forced to reassure key ally Britain after White House press secretary Sean Spicer repeated a Fox News analyst's claim that a British intelligence agency helped Obama wiretap Trump. The British government strongly denied it.

 

The issue led to an awkward moment on Friday at a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel when Trump was asked about the wiretap claims by a German reporter.

 

Trump said he and Merkel had "something in common," apparently referring to reports during the Obama administration that Merkel's phone was bugged. The quip left the German leader looking bewildered.

 

Senior Republican Representative Tom Cole told reporters on Friday that Trump owed Obama an apology. Representatives Charlie Dent and Will Hurd, also Republicans, made similar comments.

 

"I see no indication that that's true," Cole said of the wiretapping charge.

 

Unless Trump produces convincing proof, Cole added, "President Obama is owed an apology."

 

(Reporting By Emily Stephenson and Caren Bohan; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Jeffrey Benkoe)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-20

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Unless Trump produces convincing proof, Cole added, "President Obama is owed an apology."

Trump owes apologies to many, many, many people.  Sadly, that will never happen.  He's a narcissist.   Hard core.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism

[pitrevie]

Oh well glad that is out of the way now for the next lie.

[klauskunkel]

Quote

U.S. lawmakers say no proof of claims Trump Tower bugged

have they checked the kitchens?

[bushdoctor]

Every American has been spied on under Obamas watch. Phones, computers, conversations. This is nothing new but very disturbing. Why not Trump as well? Of course it will be denied. Edward Snowden revealed a similar story years ago. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump has been dogged by allegations that his associates had ties to Russian officials

flogged??

[elgordo38]

I think Trump consulted a fortune teller on this and she sold him a couple of amulets. Sound familiar??

[jb61]

for those quick on the draw about Mr. T lying, perhaps it might be prudent to first

before firing from the hip to check the top header on drudgereport today.

I'm just saying.

[funandsuninbangkok]

5 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Trump owes apologies to many, many, many people.  Sadly, that will never happen.  He's a narcissist.   Hard core.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism

 

Hardly. You seem to forget the same papers claiming now there has been no taping of calls, very recently leaked text of Trumps staff's calls. 

 

Clearly American espionage services are infiltrated by liberals. Responsible people will go to prison. 

 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/business/media/divided-media-on-michael-flynn-patriotic-leaks-or-political-espionage.html

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/14/trump-gop-lawmakers-eye-illegal-leaks-in-wake-flynn-resignation.html

 

 

 

[Andaman Al]

1 hour ago, bushdoctor said:

Every American has been spied on under Obamas watch. Phones, computers, conversations. This is nothing new but very disturbing. Why not Trump as well? Of course it will be denied. Edward Snowden revealed a similar story years ago. 

You think that means Obama knew about it? The tools to surveil everyone in the USA at will came in to being when George W Bush rammed home the 'Patriot Act'' Do you think Presidents really know what the intelligence agencies get up to? If so then you must believe that respective Presidents knew about all the black flag operations that the US have been involved in to start various conflicts around the world. The Presidents have no idea what goes on in those dark corridors of the most secret halls of Government. It is that that gives them plausible deniability.

[craigt3365]

34 minutes ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

 

Hardly. You seem to forget the same papers claiming now there has been no taping of calls, very recently leaked text of Trumps staff's calls. 

 

Clearly American espionage services are infiltrated by liberals. Responsible people will go to prison. 

 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/business/media/divided-media-on-michael-flynn-patriotic-leaks-or-political-espionage.html

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/14/trump-gop-lawmakers-eye-illegal-leaks-in-wake-flynn-resignation.html

 

What does this have to do with Trump's like that Obama "wire tapped" him?  And the nasty things he called Obama.  Totally uncalled for.  Unprofessional.  Out of order.

[craigt3365]

39 minutes ago, jb61 said:

for those quick on the draw about Mr. T lying, perhaps it might be prudent to first

before firing from the hip to check the top header on drudgereport today.

I'm just saying.

That site is mainly an aggregator.  Little original content.  Perhaps a link to a credible media site for whatever you are referring to.

 

Regardless, it's widely proven Trump lies.  History has already proven that.

[funandsuninbangkok]

10 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

What does this have to do with Trump's like that Obama "wire tapped" him?  And the nasty things he called Obama.  Totally uncalled for.  Unprofessional.  Out of order.

Obama was President when this call was taped. 

Edited March 20, 2017 by funandsuninbangkok

[boomerangutang]

From the OP:

FBI Director James Comey is expected to be asked about Trump's claims when he testifies at a rare public hearing on Monday about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

 

          I think Comey will put on his poker face and reveal as little as possible.  Trump is his boss.  Comey can be fired.  He's already showed what a dirty player he is, when (9 days before the election) he announced looking into Weiner's emails - which everyone knew would erode some of HRC's support.  Of course, nothing was found, but the hoped-for damage had already been done to her campaign.  Two days before Comey made that unprofessional announcement, Gulliani was interviewed and claimed, between giggling smiles that "very soon, Americans will get a big surprise from the FBI."  ha ha giggle, wink, snorkle, ha ha ha.

 

           Comey is nearly as crooked as the dangerous dufuses in Trump's inner circle.

[boomerangutang]

If any of Trump's people were wiretapped, it was because they were under investigation and/or speaking with Russian agents.  Granted, US law says the FBI must hang up if an American is on a wiretapped line - unless the American is formally under investigation.  

 

      I'm glad Trump stupidly blurted out the wire-tap lie.  He's damned no matter what ensues, unless it's proven that Obama personally and illegally tapped Donald Trump's telephone line.  That was precisely what was claimed in Trump's 4 tweets two weeks ago.  Since then, the wording of the tweets have been watered down to suit Republicans, but if we're going to gauge the veracity of something, we have to stick with known facts.  The tweets can't be erased.  They're there for everyone to see.

[craigt3365]

12 minutes ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

Obama was President when this call was taped. 

It's been proven there was no wiretap. Trump owes an apology to Obama. Along with many others.

[funandsuninbangkok]

22 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

It's been proven there was no wiretap. Trump owes an apology to Obama. Along with many others.

Nonsense. Obama infested the intelligence agencies and the rest of the government with liberal party hacks. They want to bring Trump down. Did the same thing with the IRS and the Attorney General

 

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-administration/319394-with-flynn-resignation-the-white-house-shadow-warriors

 

 

[Jingthing]

It's been proven there was no wiretap. Trump owes an apology to Obama. Along with many others.

trump never apologizes. He doubles down. The wire tapp (sic) thing is his new birther shtick. What a disgusting excuse for a human being we have as president. Make him go away please.

 

[bushdoctor]

 

[Redline]

3 hours ago, bushdoctor said:

Every American has been spied on under Obamas watch. Phones, computers, conversations. This is nothing new but very disturbing. Why not Trump as well? Of course it will be denied. Edward Snowden revealed a similar story years ago. 

But not Bush right?

[Redline]

9 minutes ago, bushdoctor said:

 

If Trump tower was being monitored, it was because there were contacts with foreign people that were suspicious.

[bushdoctor]

6 minutes ago, Redline said:

But not Bush right?

What? Bush started it. 

 

[bushdoctor]

2 minutes ago, Redline said:

If Trump tower was being monitored, it was because there were contacts with foreign people that were suspicious.

Source?

[Redline]

1 minute ago, bushdoctor said:

Source?

Read it again.  I said if.  Whatever the truth is, it will likely be revealed by investigative reporters, not the political government

 

[Redline]

2 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

 

Hardly. You seem to forget the same papers claiming now there has been no taping of calls, very recently leaked text of Trumps staff's calls. 

 

Clearly American espionage services are infiltrated by liberals. Responsible people will go to prison. 

 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/business/media/divided-media-on-michael-flynn-patriotic-leaks-or-political-espionage.html

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/14/trump-gop-lawmakers-eye-illegal-leaks-in-wake-flynn-resignation.html

 

 

 

That's how our government is, has been, and probably always will be.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

It's been proven there was no wiretap. Trump owes an apology to Obama. Along with many others.

 

Possibly true- maybe they did it wireless. 

 

I've been tapped, you've been tapped, every American with a phone or computer has been tapped.  Under Obama's watch.  

 

To claim that Trump hasn't been tapped is beyond credibility.  Maybe he wasn't singled out for it.  But he was listened in on.  We all were.

[Redline]

Oh my

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

Regardless, it's widely proven Trump lies.  History has already proven that.

We all know that he is a liar by all that has gone before and this really takes the cake, "even as Donald Trump spoke about ‘buying American and hiring American’, at least eight shipments of Ivanka Trump-branded clothes, shoes and bags (more than 53.5 tonnes) were steaming towards American ports from China".

 

Seems like there is one rule for the rich and one for the poor which could explain why he wants to cut corporate tax and repeal the Dodd Frank act.

 

He hasn't a clue and he hasn't the brains to be president of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Association let alone of the USA.

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Possibly true- maybe they did it wireless. 

 

I've been tapped, you've been tapped, every American with a phone or computer has been tapped.  Under Obama's watch.  

 

To claim that Trump hasn't been tapped is beyond credibility.  Maybe he wasn't singled out for it.  But he was listened in on.  We all were.

A legal and court approved wiretap is different from ordinary surveillance some federal agencies were doing.  Night and day difference.  And this never happened to Trump via Obama's orders.  It was a lie on his part after watching that nut job shock jock guy.

[bushdoctor]

13 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

A legal and court approved wiretap is different from ordinary surveillance some federal agencies were doing.  Night and day difference.  And this never happened to Trump via Obama's orders.  It was a lie on his part after watching that nut job shock jock guy.

Don't you mean thats your strong opinion? If you have real evidence to back your claim, please cite your source.