CNN commentator Jake Tapper on Friday called President Donald Trump’s attempts to justify his ongoing crusade over his unfounded wiretapping allegations an “embarrassment.”
Trump, who sought to establish the now-debunked idea that Trump Tower was spied on by the Obama administration, went further with the claim on Friday, suggesting during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that both he and Merkel “have something in common” – referring to reports that alleged Obama’s National Security Agency intercepted Merkel’s phone calls and spied on German officials.
Trump also sought to justify press secretary Sean Spicer’s attempt to implicate the British spy agency GCHQ in the nonexistent wiretapping.
“We said nothing. All we did was quote a certain very talented legal mind who was the one responsible for saying that on television. I didn’t make an opinion on it,” Trump said.
Tapper ripped into Trump’s remarks.
“The White House, apparently unaware that when the White House in the world’s most powerful nation cites a news story as proof of what the president of the United States has said that that tends to suggest to people that you think you believe the story you’re citing as proof.”
“But now in a fevered effort to try and force this outlandish claim into something remotely resembling – passably, perhaps, maybe the truth, the White House appears actually willing to repeat another wild accusation that could potentially alienate our nation’s most important ally,” Tapper said.
He continued: “Does smearing British intelligence make your family more safe? No? So, why is the White House doing it? What is the White House defending here?”
“Because it damn sure isn’t national security or American credibility before the world,” Tapper said.
Multiple US officials, the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, Global Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), and current and former Obama associates have denied all of the Trump administration’s claims that Obama directed a spy operation at Trump. But the White House has persisted.
Watch Tapper’s remarks below:
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Epic rant by @jaketapper on Trump justnow.”Embarrassment””Outlandish claim””Wild accusation” pic.twitter.com/ZNJdbeFJKo
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 17,2017
Epic rant by @jaketapper on Trump justnow.”Embarrassment””Outlandish claim””Wild accusation” pic.twitter.com/ZNJdbeFJKo
Het bericht ‘Embarrassment’: Jake Tapper takes down Trump over wiretapping crusade verscheen eerst op Business Insider.