Rather than give specifics on how exactly President Trump apparently knows former President Barack Obama wiretapped his phones, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway decided to answer that question "globally" during her Monday morning interview on Fox & Friends. "He's the president of the United States," Conway said. "He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not."
Since Trump tweeted the accusation against Obama on Saturday, neither he nor any other top government official has indicated what this "information and intelligence" may be. Obama's spokesman has dismissed the accusations as "simply false," and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said that within his government agency there "was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president-elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign." FBI Director James Comey reportedly requested the Justice Department publicly disavow Trump's claims. Moreover, Trump reportedly "did not consult with the people inside the U.S. government who might know before making this claim," a senior U.S. official told NBC News.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.