Former CIA and FBI agents wondered if perhaps Donald Trump’s public accusation about President Obama wiretapping him was actually meant as a warning to those around him that they were being listened to.
John Sipher, former CIA Clandestine Service, asked former FBI Special Agent, Counterintelligence Division and CNN Legal and National Security analyst Asha Rangappa if it was possible that Donald Trump’s wiretapping tweet was an inappropriate means to warn those around him:
All interesting.
Asha, is it possible that the President's tweet about wiretapping was an inappropriate means to warn those around him? https://t.co/LlfAb9ZkAr
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— John Sipher (@john_sipher) September 19, 2017
Asha Rangappa responded:
I think that is entirely possible.
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) September 19, 2017
It would be interesting to know when the 2nd FISA stopped and whether it coincided with that tweet. They were collecting at least into Jan.
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) September 19, 2017
Fair question, because here’s Trump specifically noting the time of the wiretap:
Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
And again, very specific on the timing:
Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017
I have previously written that it looks to me as if Trump used public speeches to communicate his demands and concessions to the Russians, for example, he asked them to hack into Hillary Clinton’s emails publicly. This is the entitled thug’s self-enamored, secret, sneaky way of getting around the law.
But Trump isn’t in Kansas anymore. He’s dealing with the intelligence community, and they aren’t exactly fooled by his second-grade shenanigans.
Whether or not Trump is found guilty of conspiring with the Russians to get the help they gave his campaign by interfering with the U.S. election, he is guilty of being too ignorant and too easily manipulated and read to be in the office he holds.
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