Trump Transition Member On Wiretap Claims: “He Just Put Another Quarter In The Conspiracy Parking Meter”

“It Makes No Sense To Me Whatsoever,” Says Former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers

A former member of President Donald Trump’s transition team said Sunday that the president “put another quarter in the conspiracy parking meter” when he accused Barack Obama of wiretapping him during last year’s campaign. 

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican who chaired the House Intelligence Committee and served as a national security adviser for Trump’s transition team, made the statement on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Host Jake Tapper asked Rogers about Trump’s claim that Obama was behind leaks concerning his campaign’s ties to Russia, as well as the president’s allegations from Saturday that his predecessor wiretapped him. 

“Should President Trump be making this allegation without any evidence?” Tapper said. 

“I don’t understand why they did it,” Rogers responded. “He just put another quarter in the conspiracy parking meter. They’ve extended this story for a week, two weeks. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. Two things. One, this should have been held, if he had that belief, if he believed there was some inappropriate behavior on behalf of the Justice Department doing this, then there are internal investigative mechanisms he should have used and called for. Making this a big public fight like this, I just think is wrong.” 

Rogers went on to say that “the only winner in this whole thing” has been Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

“The Democrats are saying he stole an election, and the president of the United States is saying, don’t worry about it, he’s a pretty good guy. If I were Vladimir Putin, I’d be felling pretty good right about now.” 

Watch the clip at the 25:00 mark in the video below.