Tuesday, March 7, 2017

White House to use "tapp" in all future references to wire tapping



Satire from Ted Block

AROUND THE BLOCK

News with a Twist

Trump spokespeople defend his Obama wire tapp claim

President may have access to information no one else knows about


White House officials on Monday defended President Trump’s explosive claim that Barack Obama tapped Trump’s telephones during last year’s election, but they won’t say where the information came from.

The comments came even as FBI Director James Comey privately asked the Justice Department to dispute the claim because he believed the allegations were false.

When asked whether Trump accepted Comey’s view, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told ABC’s “Good Morning America": “I don’t think he does.”

Sanders and Kellyanne Conway, another top adviser, said the president still firmly believes the allegations he made on Twitter over the weekend. The aides said any ambiguity surrounding the issue is all the more reason for Congress to investigate the matter.

“We’d like to know for sure,” Sanders told NBC’s “Today” show.

Following up with a written statement, Sanders said, “Did he, or did he not tapp Mr. Trump’s wires, that is the question.”

Sanders went on to write that the administration will now follow the president’s Twitter lead and use the word “tapp,” rather than "tap" in all references to wire tapping, including FISA court requests.

“In deference to the president, “tapp” will be the new administration protocol in all instances except when the president’s tweets might exceed 140 characters, where “tap” will be acceptable,” Sanders wrote.

When asked on “Good Morning America” where Trump was getting his information from, Sanders said the president “may have access to documents that I don’t know about.”

Likewise, Conway said that “credible news sources” suggested there was politically motivated activity during the campaign. But Conway also said Trump might have access to other information she and others don’t.

“He is the president of the United States,” Conway told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” “He has information and intelligence that the rest of us do not.”

When it was pointed out to Conway that it is widely believed that the president received his information from internet site Breitbart News and right-wing radio host Mark Levin, sources that are readily accessible to anyone with an internet connection or a radio, Conway responded, “Yes, but unlike just about everyone else, the president actually believes what Breitbart and Levin say.”

In a rare pushback, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy said, “That’s not entirely true…we believe everything Breitbart and Levin say.”

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