Donald Trump’s press aides have appeared on TV to defend his claim Barack Obama had his phones tapped armed with no evidence whatsoever.
Seemingly without any concept of how the media, facts or reality work, both asserted that because news outlets had reported on the alleged conspiracy, this somehow made it true.
President Trump made the explosive revelation on Saturday but as yet has provided absolutely no evidence to back it up.
News outlets around the world reported on the tweets but no one in the media or intelligence circles could find any evidence and former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, has flatly denied it.
But both Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the now infamous Kellyanne Conway insisted on Monday that the fact Trump’s claims had been reported somehow meant it must be true.
They also refused to say where the President’s information came from and left open the possibility the whole thing is completely made up.
Appearing on Fox and Friends, Conway said that “credible news sources” suggested there was politically motivated activity during the campaign, which as yet is totally unproven.
She added that as president, Trump “has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not”.
Over on Good Morning America, Sanders had much more of a grilling by George Stephanopoulos over the claims.
The House and Senate intelligence committees, and the FBI, are investigating contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russian officials, as well as whether Moscow tried to influence the 2016 election.
Trump is now demanding they broaden the scope of their inquiries to include Obama’s potential abuse of his executive powers, reports the Associated Press.
Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the committee “will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party’s campaign officials or surrogates”.
But Trump’s request carries some risk, particularly if the committees unearth damaging information about him or his associates.
Josh Earnest, who was Obama’s White House press secretary, said presidents do not have authority to unilaterally order the wiretapping of American citizens, as Trump has alleged was done to him.
FBI investigators and Justice Department officials must seek approval from a federal judge for such a step.
If this was the case then there must have been a reason for it.
Earnest accused Trump of levelling the allegation to distract from the attention being given to the Russia issue.