Radio host Mark Levin insists evidence for wiretapping is 'overwhelming' — but offers no real evidence
Conservative radio host Mark Levin insisted Sunday on Fox & Friends that there's no question the Obama administration spied on President Trump. "The evidence is overwhelming," said Levin, who raised the claims that former President Barack Obama wiretapped the phones at Trump Tower during his show Thursday — one day before they were published on Breitbart News, and two days before Trump tweeted the accusation Saturday morning. "This is not about President Trump's tweeting," Levin said. "This is about the Obama administration's spying, and the question isn't whether it spied. The question is who they did spy on, the extent of the spying — that is, the Trump campaign, the Trump transition, Trump surrogates."
But much of the information in the reports Levin cites "has not been confirmed by any U.S. news organization," The Washington Post noted. Moreover, The New York Times — which Levin cited numerous times — has explicitly clarified it only reported that "several of Mr. Trump's associates are being investigated for their connections with Russians and that law enforcement agencies have intercepted communications," not that Obama wiretapped Trump's phones. As for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act requests that are the crux of Levin's case, former National Intelligence Director James Clapper has made it clear he has no knowledge of such requests.
But all that evidence of the Obama administration's "police state tactics" is apparently "overwhelming" enough for Levin. "Donald Trump is the victim," Levin said. "His campaign is the victim. His transition team is the victim. His surrogates are the victims."
Subscribe to 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
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch Levin attempt to lay out the evidence below. Becca Stanek
Watch the latest video at <a <span class="<span class="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">scayt-misspell-word</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-word</span>="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">scayt-misspell-word</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-lang" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-lang</span>="en_US"><span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">scayt-misspell-word</span></span>" <span class="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">scayt-misspell-word</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-word</span>="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-word</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-lang" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-lang</span>="en_US"><span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-word</span></span>="<span class="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">scayt-misspell-word</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-word</span>="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="href" data-scayt-lang="en_US">href</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-lang" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-lang</span>="en_US"><span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="href" data-scayt-lang="en_US">href</span></span>" <span class="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">scayt-misspell-word</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-word</span>="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-lang" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-lang</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-lang" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-lang</span>="en_US"><span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-lang" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-lang</span></span>="en_US"><span class="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">scayt-misspell-word</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-word" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-word</span>="<span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="href" data-scayt-lang="en_US">href</span>" <span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="data-scayt-lang" data-scayt-lang="en_US">data-scayt-lang</span>="en_US"><span class="scayt-misspell-word" data-scayt-word="href" data-scayt-lang="en_US">href</span></span></span>="http://video.foxnews.com">video.foxnews.com</a>
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Italy's prisons crisis
Under the Radar Severe overcrowding, dire conditions and appalling violence have brought the Italian carceral system to boiling point
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
The potential effects of Israel's ceasefire with Hezbollah
THE EXPLAINER With the possibility of a region-wide war fading, the Palestinian militant group Hamas faces increased isolation and limited options
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 9, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published