Trump’s Wiretapping Claims: What You Need To Know

President Donald Trump recently tweeted an accusation that Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election. Here’s what you need to know.

Pradyoth Velagapudi, Managing Editor
March 13, 2017

On Saturday, March 4, 2017, President Donald J. Trump tweeted an unsubstantiated claim that his predecessor Barack Obama had the “wires tapped” in Trump Tower during the 2016 election. This proclamation met a wave of disapproval from the general public, and from the Obama Administration. Even the FBI has asked the Justice Department to shut down the accusations.

To many, this is just a stunt to distract from the controversy surrounding Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s alleged ties with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Trump’s ties with Russia in general. And now the White House is changing its stance on the wiretapping, asking for an investigation as to whether the wiretapping occurred at all, rather than trying to find evidence for it. To others, this is merely another empty statement by Trump, as presidents are not allowed to order wiretapping without authorization.

This is just one of many of Trump’s Twitter flops. For example, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, he tweeted that he has “tremendous respect for women and the many roles they serve that are vital to the fabric of our society and our economy.” A very well-written tweet, befitting of a president; however, Twitter exploded in anger as several users tweeted reminders of his past remarks about women, as well as many statements about how the United States is behind many countries in terms of salary and paid maternity leave for women.

There have also been many instances where Trump tweeted something he heard or saw, without fact-checking its accuracy or reliability, which many say is exactly what happened with his wiretapping claim.

According to The Guardian, the theory was first voiced by Mark Levin on a talk show, then reprinted and published by Breitbart News. From there, it made its way onto Trump’s Twitter feed, where it was – and still is – causing no end of drama.

Was this a cleverly laid plan to divert attention from the Trump Administration’s questionable ties with Russia? Or is it just yet another blunder by our Twitter-happy POTUS? Only time will tell.