Trump's Wiretapping Claim

[sp1814]

If no evidence is found that President Obama ordered Trump Towers to be bugged, should he sue President Trump for defamation?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-wiretapping-barack-obama-claim-house-intelligence-committee-any-evidence-devin-nunes-a7631671.html

...because the long and short of it is - Obama has been accused of a crime!

[jackthehat]

I seem to remember that an incumbent POTUS cannot be sued. He'd need to be impeached first and being an Olympic-standard buffoon probably won't be sufficient grounds for doing so....

[Gromit]

We probably need to get used to Trump saying things for which there is no evidence is the truth. I am sure in 4 years, we will hear many more paranoid outbursts.

[bednobs]

no, he should remain in dignified silence

[ichkeria]

There was a cock and bull story on some demented website that claimed that Malia Obama had 'admitted' that dad was 'obsessed' with listening to Trump's phone calls and would keep going into some room in the house to catch the latest. I'm sure if anyone is they interested they can google it. I guess this is the sort of thing many fear swung the election Trump's way.

'Olympic-standard buffoon'
I like that :-)

[sp1814]

I think Trump really needs to be pulled up on this. He cannot simply get away with tweeting allegations as serious as this without some sort of evidence.

This is literally up there with Watergate!

[Peter Pedant]

well libel law varies from state to state
and unlike London - the libel capital of the world

it is difficult to get a determination in your favour as a result of the First Amendment - free speech

[-Talbot-]

Perhaps Obama doesn't want too much digging?
If you have followed this from day one you will notice how carefully the words are chosen in statements given out. Even in the vid you have provided sp

'I don't think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower'
A definite emphasis on 'actual'

I have said once and will say it again possibility of illegalities on both sides. I believe that because I believe most politicians have it in them to be morally corrupt when it suits their agenda.
It's been a while now and it looks like it is going to be filed under TC

[mikey4444]

Bednobs has it right here....Obama should rise above Trumps childish tirades.

[naomi24]

If there was nothing in it, what a wonderful opportunity to bring Trump tumbling down! Can’t help wondering why someone isn’t doing just that.

[sp1814]

naomi24

Apparently (and I didn't know this) - you can't sue a sitting President for libel.

[mikey4444]

SP..........as I see it, the old adage about giving a man enough rope to hang himself with appears to be coming along rather nicely !

[anneasquith]

Oh dignified silence from Obama, unlike Trump who is classless .

[Samjenko]

From The Guardian before the current hoo-ha. Jan 11th.

The Guardian has learned that the FBI applied for a warrant from the foreign intelligence surveillance (Fisa) court over the summer in order to monitor four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials. The Fisa court turned down the application asking FBI counter-intelligence investigators to narrow its focus. According to one report, the FBI was finally granted a warrant in October, but that has not been confirmed, and it is not clear whether any warrant led to a full investigation.

When the press corps were badgering Sean Spicer for proof on Monday, he said, 'Just look in your own back-issues', Lol.

Don't 'get' this almost daily speculation while the matter is under investigation. If you wait and see, you're less likely to make a fool of yourself.

[Gromit]

// the FBI applied for a warrant from the foreign intelligence surveillance (Fisa) court over the summer in order to monitor four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials. //

Wonder what the conclusion of that was? Oh yes, now remember lol.

Not sure they resided in Trump Tower, so nice diversion, Sam.

[Samjenko]

They were in Trump Tower though, gromit. There's no dispute about that.

[Old_Geezer]

One should not be so petty.

Without evidence the accuser already looks bad, the accused looks fine.

[Gromit]

Sam,

There is a difference between monitoring an individuals communications (their phone, computer traffic) and Trumps claim that his building was tapped.
Michael Flynn WAS in contact with the Russians, and he DID have to resign. But that wasn't in Trump Tower, and it was not under Obamas order.

Divebuddy,
I would suspect that the NSA is listening to EVERYBODY, Obama and Trump, and millions of others. But that would not be on Obamas order, and he would be as much a victim of it.

[sp1814]

Even if he was monitored - he claimed that Obama was behind it. He would need to prove that. That's the issue - not that he was bugged, but that Obama ordered it.