Trump Thinks Obama Was Behind “Spying” On His Presidential Campaign

While talking to reporters before boarding Marine One, Trump uncorked a deranged conspiracy theory about spies in his presidential campaign, and when asked about Obama, he said that it would be obvious who was behind it.

Video:

Transcript via The White House as provided to PoliticusUSA:

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Q Former FBI Director, James Comey, said to use the word “spy” is the wrong word.

THE PRESIDENT: I think James Comey has got a lot of problems. If you look at what at he did, if you look at all of the lies — the tremendous lies — if you look at all that’s going on, I think James Comey has got a lot of problems. Now, at some point they have an IG report, and then let’s see what James Comey has to say. But I assume he’s covered in the IG report. But if you look at what he said — all of the lies, all of the fiction — I think he’s got a lot of problems.

Q (Inaudible) spying? Who do you think was responsible for it?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I don’t want to get into yet, but I will tell you —

Q President Obama?

THE PRESIDENT: — after we look at the proof — would he know? I would certainly hope not. But I think it’s going to be pretty obvious after a while. We’re going now to talk about MS-13 with the great police officers. We’re going out to Long Island. I don’t know, are you coming with us? Is anybody — no? It’s going to be very exciting.

I certainly would hope not is not the same as saying no. According to Gabriel Sherman, Trump has convinced himself that it was Obama administration officials who cooked up a conspiracy against him, so the president’s answer when asked about Obama, fits right in with Trump’s paranoid thinking.

No one spied on the Trump campaign

It can’t be said often enough. No one spied on the Trump campaign. There were no US government spies in the Trump campaign. The Trump campaign was under investigation because people in it were committing crimes, which is not the same as spying. Trump has invented this spying conspiracy theory, and the closed-door meeting between the DOJ and House Republicans is all about cherry picking details to add to their bogus conspiracy theory.

Obama didn’t spy on Trump, but the president’s campaign is under federal investigation for a litany of potential criminal offenses.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association