Cheriss May/ZUMA
Congress on Thursday is set to vote on whether to extend a controversial section in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which for years allowed the government to collect domestic phone records and internet communications without a warrant.
But as the White House aggressively lobbies to preserve the section and reject an amendment imposing new restrictions on the government’s surveillance efforts, President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to undercut his administration’s position by openly questioning whether the program may have unlawfully spied on his campaign.
“House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.” This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
The confounding tweet came just hours after White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement warning Congress against the amendment, arguing that it would reestablish “the walls between intelligence and law enforcement.” It also marked a return to Trump’s baseless claim that the Obama administration wiretapped Trump Tower during the presidential campaign.
Nearly two hours after it was published, Trump attempted to get in line with his administration’s messaging with the following:
With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
What could possibly explain Trump’s initial contradiction? As Matthew Gertz of Media Matters noted, Trump’s tweet emerged shortly after Fox News commentator Andrew Napolitano—a 9/11 truther who was briefly suspended from the network in March over his unverified claims that British intelligence officials were spying on Trump—asserted on air that the president’s “woes” started with unlawful surveillance on his campaign afforded by the program.
During the segment, after claiming that Trump’s “woes began” with “surveillance of him,” Andrew Napolitano literally turns to the camera and says, “Mr. President, this is not the way to go.” pic.twitter.com/W8NrtDDP3I
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 11, 2018
Earlier on Thursday, Trump also slammed Hillary Clinton and questioned whether she had any nefarious ties to the Russian government. The familiar attack comes more than 14 months since he won the election, and less than 10 days until he celebrates a year in office.
Disproven and paid for by Democrats “Dossier used to spy on Trump Campaign. Did FBI use Intel tool to influence the Election?” @foxandfriends Did Dems or Clinton also pay Russians? Where are hidden and smashed DNC servers? Where are Crooked Hillary Emails? What a mess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
