Bound to drive Democrats and their news media (even more) crazy today is the news that the Obama administration did, in fact, scoop up surveillance information from Trump associates and campaign staff, not related to Russia, and, disseminated that information without blocking out the identities of the Americans, some of whom were Trump associates, both before the election and after the election.
Seems to me that the Left has been asking the wrong person for proof that Trump and his associates were spied on. The newspapers are the ones who’ve been publishing it. Why not ask them for proof?
Now that point is moot, because it did happen. House Intelligence Chairman, Devin Nunes, told reporters that the U.S. intelligence community incidentally collected information on members of President Trump’s transition team, possibly including Trump himself, and the information was “widely disseminated” in intelligence reports.
Chairman Nunes said he had viewed dozens of documents showing that the information had been incidentally collected. He said that he believes the information was legally collected. Nunes said that the intelligence has nothing to do with Russia and that the collection occurred after the presidential election.
We know quite a lot now. We know from FBI Director Comey that there is an ongoing investigation into possible ties to Russia and the Trump campaign, and, that there was no collaboration found. Collaboration into interfering in the campaign or the election.
We know that Flynn’s name was not shielded from the contents of ‘the wiretaps’ that the NYT and others reported. Not shielding Americans from FISA surveillance is against the FISA rules, and the unauthorized the release of same is a felony.
We know the Obama administration expanded access to unmasked intelligence reports two weeks prior to the end of his administration. We also know, from the Comey hearing, that not only did James Clapper (DNI) and John Brennan (CIA), have access to this, but a lot of people in The White House also had access to it. Including Susan Rice (NSA), Ben Rhodes Deputy NSA, AG Loretta Lynch, and her deputy Sally Yates.
Still wondering why the media has no interest in finding out who “outed” Flynn and others associated with the Trump campaign and the Trump administration? What are they concerned with? They’re concerned with why Nunes revealed some truth which effectively took the wind right out of their sails. Still not concerned with who authorized the surveillance and who the leaker(s) is.
Even worse, for a media so hyped up against police state tactics and spying, their total lack of interest in what the Obama administration was doing to political opponents is beyond hypocritical. Had the guy in The White House at the time been a Republican, every story would have the words Nazi and Hitler in it.
Bottom line, Trump was right. And the news media is looking even more fake by sticking to their literal interpretation of Trump’s tweet.