Twitter Explodes as Trump Says Susan Rice May Have Committed a Crime (She Didn’t) but Bill O’Reilly Didn’t
‘Right-Wing Sexual Predators Stick Together’
President Donald Trump one month and one day ago accused former President Barack Obama of committing a felony, wiretapping him in Trump Tower. That was a baseless allegation that was then and to this has has been supported by zero evidence. It has led to an international incident with America’s top ally, Britain, and cost a tremendous amount of time and money on all sides attempting to prove or disprove the false claim.Â
In a New York Times interview published Wednesday afternoon, Trump again accused someone of a crime, citing zero evidence.
“President Trump said on Wednesday that he thought that the former national security adviser Susan E. Rice may have committed a crime by seeking the identities of Trump associates who were swept up in the surveillance of foreign officials by American spy agencies and that other Obama administration officials may also have been involved,” The New York Times reports. “The president provided no evidence to back his claim.”
Trump says in the interview he thinks the Susan Rice allegations will be “one of the big stories of our time.”
For the record, there are no credible accusations against Rice, any unmasking she did, she insists, was done as part of her job as President Obama’s National Security Advisor, as experts have agreed.
When asked if Ms. Rice, who has denied leaking the names of Trump associates under surveillance by United States intelligence agencies, had committed a crime, the president said, “Do I think? Yes, I think.â€
Later in the interview, Trump ran to Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s defense.Â
O’Reilly has been accused of sexual harassment by at least five women, and according to reports he and Fox News have paid his accusers a total of about $13 million.
Trump, 6 days ago: “We all share responsibility to … end sexual violence.â€
Trump today: “I don’t think Bill [O’Reilly] did anything wrong.†https://t.co/ptoWoSf7d9— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) April 5, 2017
Despite less than one week ago designating April as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, the President decided to ignore that proclamation and the accusations against the veteran pundit.
“I think he’s a person I know well — he is a good person,†Trump told The Times.Â
“I think he shouldn’t have settled; personally I think he shouldn’t have settled,†said Mr. Trump. “Because you should have taken it all the way. I don’t think Bill did anything wrong.â€
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Many on Twitter were outraged:
Warped logic: O’Reilly did nothing wrong and Rice may be a criminal. https://t.co/k7QTeviTNu
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) April 5, 2017
@keithboykin @ViviVacca Hey #trump supporter adore sexual predators. Let’s not forget they elected @realDonaldTrump – they were left behind with good reason. pic.twitter.com/TLk3tonNL5
— Michael Dutcher (@michaeldutcher) April 5, 2017
Not that u’re a man of nuance Trump but this is green-lighting sexual harassment in workplace!https://t.co/QP9OXdDzb1 pic.twitter.com/4F7IY7NDK0
— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) April 5, 2017
Does it really help O’Reilly to have Trump, a sexual assaulter, defending him?
— Mike Signorile (@MSignorile) April 5, 2017
Did Trump think it was just ‘sexual assault month’? https://t.co/rjHKNRPEat
— h. jon benjamin (@HJBenjamin) April 5, 2017
On the day Trump defends a man accused of sexual harassment, maybe it’s time to replay the Access Hollywood tape.
— Katty Kay (@KattyKayBBC) April 5, 2017
Donald Trump knows Bill O’Reilly’s serial sexual harassment is just locker room talk. Trump/O’Reilly 2020!
— Kaili Joy Gray (@KailiJoy) April 5, 2017
Shorter version of Trump’s @nytimes interview:
Susan Rice = CRIMINAL
Bill O’Reilly = GOOD PERSON https://t.co/yJoHYpdlE4— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) April 5, 2017
It’s not that Trump thinks O’Reilly didn’t do the things he is accused of, he just doesn’t think doing those things is wrong
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) April 5, 2017
Today a president who invited Russian spies to help elect him accused the spy-hunter of a crime.
— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 5, 2017
Trump just said Susan Rice may have committed a crime? Soon he’s gonna run out of brilliant black ppl to blame. Eric Holder you’re on deck.
— Cyrus McQueen (@CyrusMMcQueen) April 5, 2017
No one should treat Trump’s comments about @AmbassadorRice as credible. He is a serial liar. He’s changed his story on wiretapping 3 times.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) April 5, 2017
Trump, who has been repeatedly accused of sexual assault and harassment, says Bill O’Reilly didn’t do anything wrong https://t.co/xgdEv6if0X
— Mark Berman (@markberman) April 5, 2017
In his latest interview Trump condemned Susan Rice but praised Bill O’Reilly.
Rice did her job.
O’Reilly harassed people on the job.Sad
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 5, 2017
I doubt Trump would say O’Reilly did anything wrong because Trump’s done the same things. That’d imply guilt. The Rice issue is BS, though. https://t.co/g1WaYm4779
— Leah (@settleprecious) April 5, 2017
#trump Outrageous comments about Susan Rice crimes and O’Reilly settling 5 sex suits show we have a completely unhinged lunatic for POTUS.
— Bikerdgt (@bikerdgt) April 5, 2017
Hey, #MAGA crowd. Trump just defended #Oreilly during sexual assault awareness month and said Bill did nothing wrong. Is America great yet?
— Winger770 (@Winger770) April 5, 2017
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