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Anonymous ID: 40dbd8 Sept. 23, 2018, 4:20 p.m. No.3156211   🗄️.is 🔗kun

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Published on Mar 17, 2017

 

President Donald Trump on Friday refused to disown claims, highlighted by his White House, that British intelligence tapped his phones following a request by President Barack Obama last year, risking a deepening rift with America's key ally.

 

Trump's aides had earlier attempted to quell British anger over the claims, based on a Fox News report cited by his press secretary, Sean Spicer, in a briefing Thursday, by explaining the comment to the UK government.

 

But in an awkward moment on live television while meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel – whose cell phone was once tapped by the National Security Agency – Trump quipped that he and the German leader had something in common.

 

Trump's response further fueled a controversy about his claims he was wiretapped by Obama – first made on Twitter two weeks ago – which have been rejected by senior members of House and Senate Intelligence committees. The White House has produced no evidence to back up the allegations.

 

"As far as wiretapping I guess by this past administration, at least we have something in common, perhaps," Trump said, turning to Merkel, who did not smile at the joke. The German chancellor was furious to find out during the last administration that her phone had been tapped by the NSA as part of a program that Obama ended after leaks from Edward Snowden.

 

Merkel appeared to take several seconds to process what Trump had said, then frowned, and started shuffling her papers on the podium set up for their joint news conference in the East Room of the White House.

 

Trump also showed no sign of regret that his press secretary had sparked a controversy, though the President is increasingly isolated over his claims, made without any evidence, that the Obama administration tapped his phones.

 

The top Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence panels have said there is no evidence that Trump or aides were under surveillance. On Monday, FBI director James Comey is expected to testify to the House committee and is expected to draw similar conclusions.

 

The White House earlier sought to explain Spicer's use of the Fox News report to the British government. National security adviser H.R. McMaster spoke with his British counterpart and described Spicer's comment as "unintentional."

 

But Trump declined to offer an apology for the claims, which the British government derided as "ridiculous."

 

And Spicer denied to reporters after the news conference that the White House had said sorry to the British.