Trump’s Tweets Accusing Obama of Wiretapping Have ‘No Basis in Fact’ Says Rice
Ambassador Susan Rice, President Barack Obama’s National Security Advisor, flatly denied accusations she unmasked Trump campaign team members for political purposes as “absolutely false.” rice, who also has served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that she never leaked anything.
“I leaked nothing to nobody,” she said.
Rice also called “absolutely false” there was no collection or surveillance on Trump Tower or Trump’s team directed by the White House.
“Not only did it not occur, it didn’t occur and it could not occur as directed by the White House,” Rice said. She also stated she did not leak Mike Flynn’s name, and did not know he was in service to the Turkish government.
“If I saw an intelligence report that looked potentially significant,” she explained, “I can make that request,” to “unmask” names of U.S. citizens. “That’s necessary for me to do my job.” But she noted a request is not automatically granted, even to her. The decision comes from the intelligence agencies.
Rice said she was “surprised” and “shocked,” when she heard of President Donald Trump’s tweets accusing President Barack Obama of wiretapping him, “had no basis in fact, and it wasn’t typical of how presidents’ treat their predecessors.” She also stated it “had no basis in fact.”
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