Carter Page, the former campaign adviser to President Trump whose surveillance by the FBI has upended Washington, is doing a media tour. On Tuesday, he appeared on ABC's Good Morning America to discuss the controversial memo compiled for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), which purported to reveal Page's improper surveillance. Trump believes the contents of the memo demonstrate anti-GOP bias in the agency, therefore tainting the FBI's investigation into collusion between his campaign and Russia.
"There was no basis [for my surveillance]," Page told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, claiming that the Constitution had been "shredded." Stephanopoulos pointed out that wiretapping warrants usually require a fair amount of vetting: "You actually had been on the FBI's radar for working with Russia for several years," he said. "You gave … documents to [a Russian who the FBI] charged with espionage." Page insisted he'd only given the Russian agent "notes" about a class he was teaching at New York University.
Stephanopoulos, however, was not convinced: "You were recruited at one point by a Russian agent, then you wrote yourself that you were an informal adviser to the Kremlin." Page demurred, claiming that "a lot of people" from different countries served in that capacity.
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Page said the entire basis for his surveillance was "the dodgy dossier" authored by former British spy Christopher Steele, which alleges that Trump is compromised by Russia. Stephanopoulos pointed out that Page's surveillance warrant was renewed "at least three times by people who worked for President Trump." Page maintained that the story was "complete ridiculousness."
As the interview came to a close, Stephanopoulos asked: "Have you ever spoken to Donald Trump?" Page replied: "I never spoke with him any time in my life." Watch the interview below. Kelly O'Meara Morales
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