Bloomberg: Trump’s Obama-Wiretap Claim

The essence of good surveillance requires those under observation not realizing an operation is underway. US President Donald Trump released social-media messages maintaining, without offering evidence, that he had just learned former President Barack Obama had ordered surveillance of Trump Tower in New York City. The messages force the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other security officials to answer uncomfortable questions about procedures. His staff offer no details, only suggesting that “something happened.” Courts must approve wiretap operations; an Obama spokesperson and security officials from his administration deny the charge. A number of Trump campaign officials had Russian connections, and questions emerge about Russian intervention during the US election, now under investigation. The US president has access to state-of-the art research and could declassify a report, but Trump relies on news sources lacking credibility. A former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency during the George W. Bush administration commented, “It looks as if the president, just for a moment, forgot that he was president.” World leaders and his own staff are in an ongoing struggle to be polite about opinions issued by the commander-in-chief of the world’s largest military. Baseless charges distract from global challenges, putting the United States and its allies in a vulnerable position. – YaleGlobal