Archive for the ‘Obama’ Category

Tanning Industry, Taxed Under Obama, Cheers GOP Health Bill – New York Times


New York Times
Tanning Industry, Taxed Under Obama, Cheers GOP Health Bill
New York Times
Mr. Obama's signature health law, the Affordable Care Act, put a 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services, and during his two terms, the federal government and states sought to deter the use of tanning beds by young people in particular, citing ...

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Tanning Industry, Taxed Under Obama, Cheers GOP Health Bill - New York Times

Meghan McCain: Barack Obama will be ‘most bitter ex-president’ in history – AOL

Things got heated on Wednesday's Fox News' 'The Five' when the topics of Trump's wiretapping allegations and his ongoing relationship with Barack Obama were broached.

In the course of the lively discussion, Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain, predicted, "President Obama is going to be the most bitter ex-president that we've ever had. He's not gonna keep his mouth shut, he's gonna do nothing but attack this administration. The complete and total opposite of the class and respect [George W. Bush] gave to Obama."

Since leaving the White House, Obama and his team have made limited comments.

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - FEBRUARY 1: In this undated image former President Barack Obama takes a break from learning to kitesurf at Richard Branson's Necker Island retreat on February 1, 2017 in the British Virgin Islands. Former President Obama and his wife Michelle have been on an extended vacation since leaving office on January 20. (Photo by Jack Brockway/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to Major League Baseball's All-Star game in St. Louis. (Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama reacts to his putt on the first green as he plays golf at Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on the island of Martha's Vineyard August 7, 2016. / AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama rides his bicycle as he is followed by his daughter Malia in West Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on August 27, 2010. The US First Family is vacationing on the island until August 29. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

VINEYARD HAVEN, MA - AUGUST 25: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Barack Obama plays the ninth hole at Mink Meadows Golf Club August 25, 2010 while vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The Obama's are heading into their last weekend on the island before returning to Washington on Sunday. Barack Obama and his family are vacationing on Martha's Vineyard August 19-29. (Photo by Darren McCollester-Pool/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama waves as he and First Lady Michelle Obama leave a restaurant after having dinner on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on August 24, 2010. The US First Family is vacationing on the Island till August 29. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama waves after ordering lunch at Nancy's restaurant in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on August 25, 2010. The US First Family is vacationing on the Island until August 29. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama addresses troops with First Lady Michelle Obama at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kailua on December 25, 2016. / AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama doffs his cap after putting on the 18th green at the Kapolei Golf Club in Kapolei on December 21, 2016 during his annual Christmas vacation in Hawaii. / AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

HONOLULU, HAWAII - DECEMBER 27: US President Barack Obama waves at the media while holding hands with his daughter, Sasha, as they walk with friends at Sea Life Park on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 in Waimanalo, Hawaii. Obama spent the afternoon at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve before visiting the marine wildlife park. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Pool) (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Corbis via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 7: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Barack Obama waves to the media as he arrives on the South Lawn of the White House July 7, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Obama spent the holiday weekend at Camp David. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 04: U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk down the South Portico stairs to work the rope line as they host a Fourth of July barbecue for military heroes and their families on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2013 in Washington, DC. The president and first lady are hosting members of the military and their families in commemoration of Independence Day. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama talks to reporters as he plays golf with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razzak at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on December 24, 2014. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Obama greets well wishers at Marine Corps Base Hawaii during his December 2014 annual vacation with the First Family in Kailua, Hawaii on the Island of Oahu

US President Barack Obama arrives to hand out treats to children trick-or-treating for Halloween on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, October 30, 2015. AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

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In regards to protests prompted by the travel ban, his office released a statement. It read, in part, "citizens exercising their Constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake."

As for the recent wiretap accusation, some close to Obama say that he was "livid over the accusation," reports the Wall Street Journal.

However, outside of issuing a denial, he and his current staff have refrained from officially commenting on the matter.

Two of the Trump tweets in question read, "Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!" and "How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!"

RELATED: Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, a photo for each day

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US President Donald Trump takes the oath of office with his wife Melania and son Barron at his side, during his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he leaves the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters after delivering remarks during a visit in Langley, Virginia U.S., January 21, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

U.S. President Donald Trump shows a letter from former President Barack Obama at a swearing-in ceremony for senior staff at the White House in Washington, DC January 22, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up the executive order on withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership after signing it in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while signing an executive order to advance construction of the Keystone XL pipeline at the White House in Washington January 24, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, speaks as U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, center, and John Kelly, secretary of U.S. Homeland Security, stand during a visit to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Washington, D.C. U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. Trump acted on two of the most fundamental -- and controversial -- elements of his presidential campaign, building a wall on the border with Mexico and greatly tightening restrictions on who can enter the U.S. Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Pool via Bloomberg

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks briefly to reporters as he arrives aboard Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: British Prime Minister Theresa May shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump in The Oval Office at The White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. British Prime Minister Theresa May is on a two-day visit to the United States and will be the first world leader to meet with President Donald Trump. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (R), speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Activists march to the US Capitol to protest President Donald Trump's executive actions on immigration in Washington January 29, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order while surrounded by small business leaders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017. Trump said he will dramatically reduce regulations overall with this executive action as it requires that for every new federal regulation implemented, two must be rescinded. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 31: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Robert J. Hugin, Executive Chairman, Celgene Corporation, as he meets with representatives from PhRMA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 31, 2017 in Washington, DC. According to its website, PhRMA 'represents the country's leading biopharmaceutical researchers and biotechnology companies.' Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and CEO of Merck & Co. looks on from left. (Photo by Ron Sachs - Pool/Getty Images)

Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State for President Donald Trump, left, speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump listen after the swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. Tillerson won Senate confirmation as secretary of state after lawmakers split mostly along party lines on President Trump's choice of an oilman with no government experience but a career negotiating billions of dollars of energy deals worldwide. Photographer: Michael Reynolds/Pool via Bloomberg

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 2: President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meet with Harley Davidson executives and Union Representatives on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Feb. 02, 2017. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at West Palm Beach International airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 3, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the 60th Annual Red Cross Gala at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 4, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

US President Donald Trump watches the Super Bowl with First Lady Melania Trump (R) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (L) at Trump International Golf Club Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida on February 5, 2017. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump salutes as he arrives at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, U.S., February 6, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President Donald Trump receives a figurine of a sheriff during a meeting with county sheriffs at the White House in Washington, U.S. February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel Corp., left, listens during a meeting at The White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017. Trump defended his power to put limits on who can enter the U.S., saying it shouldn't be challenged in the courts even as a three-judge panel weighs whether to reinstate restrictions on refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations. Photographer: Chris Kleponis/Pool via Bloomberg

U.S. President Donald Trump watches as Vice President Mike Pence (R) swears in Jeff Sessions (L) as U.S. Attorney General while his wife Mary Sessions holds the Bible in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 9, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump (L) ahead of their joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pose for photos with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akke Abe at Trump's Mar-a-Lagoresort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 11, 2017 prior to dinner. / AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speak at meeting with teachers and parents at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump (2ndR) and first lady Melania Trump greet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara (L) as they arrive at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump announces Alexander Acosta as his new nominee to lead the Department of Labor during a news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 16, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with his grandchildren Arabella and Joseph to Marine One upon his departure from the White House in Washington, U.S., February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump acknowledge supporters during a "Make America Great Again" rally at Orlando Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Florida, U.S. February 18, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump turns into Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida U.S., February 19, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump announces his new National Security Adviser Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster (L) and that acting adviser Keith Kellogg (R) will become the chief of staff of the National Security Council at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida U.S. February 20, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 21: (AFP OUT) President Donald Trump tours the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture on February 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch - Pool/Getty Images)

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney (L) listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak during a "strategic initiatives" lunch at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 22, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a meeting with experts on addressing human trafficking at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S. February 23, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S. February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump leaves after a dinner at Trump International Hotel in Washington, U.S., February 25, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: AFP OUT President Donald Trump delivers brief remarks before a toast during the annual Governors' Dinner in the East Room of the White House February 26, 2017 in Washington, DC. Part of the National Governors Association annual meeting in the nation's capital, the black tie dinner and ball is the first formal event the Trumps will host at the White House since moving in last month. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 27: U.S. President Donald Trump poses with the Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Oval Office of the White House, on February 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Images)

US Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R) applaud as US President Donald J. Trump (C) arrives to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, DC, USA, 28 February 2017. REUTERS/Jim Lo Scalzo

U.S. President Donald Trump looks up while hosting a House and Senate leadership lunch at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump tours the pre-commissioned U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding facilities in Newport News, Virginia, U.S. March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (from L), U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and White House advisor Jared Kushner, thanks fourth-grade students for the "Happy Birthday Florida" card they gave him as he visits their classroom at Saint Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Florida, U.S. March 3, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 04: US President Donald Trump waves from his vehicle as he stops while being driven past supporters near his Mar-a-Lago resort home on March 4, 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida. President Trump spent part of the weekend at the house. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 05: President Donald J. Trump walks across the South Lawn towards the White House on March 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump is returning from a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. Florida. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser-Pool/Getty Images)

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions stand together after speaking on issues related to visas and travel after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban order in Washington, U.S., March 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Beside a painting of Hillary Clinton, U.S. President Donald Trump makes a surprise appearance in front of a tour group at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 7, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 8: First Lady Melania Trump arrives at a luncheon she was hosting to mark International Women's Day in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, March. 08, 2017. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Meghan McCain: Barack Obama will be 'most bitter ex-president' in history - AOL

No shadow presidency: Voters reject idea of Obama undermining Trump – Washington Times


Washington Times
No shadow presidency: Voters reject idea of Obama undermining Trump
Washington Times
Former President Obama is reportedly planning a more visible stand against President Trump and the GOP to protect his legacy, but most voters think that's a bad idea, states a new Rasmussen Reports survey, which finds that 58 percent of the likely U ...

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How Are All These Intel Leaks Happening? Look At One Of The Last Things Obama Did Before Leaving Office – Daily Caller

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Former President Barack Obama made a last-minute change to the way wiretapped intelligence is shared Jan. 12, which may have contributed to the proliferation ofleaks plaguing the Trump administration.

Obama changed the way National Security Agency intelligence is shared 8 days before leaving office, which allows globally intercepted communications to be disseminated across the entire intelligence community.

The change was part of a post-9/11 push by the executive branch to increase intelligence sharing, to ensure that NSA analysts do not miss critically important information. The change is simply widening the aperture for a larger number of analysts, who will be bound by the existing rules, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said at the time.

Obama administration officials also scrambled to spread classified intelligence related to Russian meddling in the 2016 election to as many people within the U.S. government as possible. These officials said they spread the intelligence around to ensure Trump administration officials would not be able to quash the investigation. The officials also fought to keep the related intelligence at a low-classified level, giving more officers access to the raw information.

We have people spouting off who dont know the difference between FISA surveillance and a wiretap or a counterintelligence probe versus a special prosecutor criminal case, and it has hurts our ability to get to the truth and has wrongly created the impression that intelligence officials have a political agenda, a U.S. intelligence official told Circa Wednesday.

These globally-intercepted communications included conversations during the presidential transition between thenNational Security Advisor-designate Michael Flynn and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. These communications were leaked by elements within the intelligence community to the Washington Post, prompting a government scandal and the resignation of Flynn in disgrace.

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How Are All These Intel Leaks Happening? Look At One Of The Last Things Obama Did Before Leaving Office - Daily Caller

Trump accuses Obama of wire tapping Trump Tower phones

Trump greets former President Barack Obama during the presidential inauguration. | Getty

The former president hits back at the charge, with a spokesman saying, 'Neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen.'

By Eli Stokols

03/04/17 07:45 AM EST

Updated 03/04/17 04:45 PM EST

President Donald Trump, under scrutiny for possible ties between his campaign and Russia and increasingly fixated with rooting out leaks, on Saturday sought to deflect attention by accusing former President Barack Obama of tapping his Trump Tower phones prior to the election.

He offered no evidence to support his claims, which appear to be based on commentary rising in conservative media circles and, above all, the presidents own agitation over the metastasizing Russia controversy.

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Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! Trump tweeted, as part of a six-tweet screed.

Trump went on to ask, Is it legal for a sitting President to be wire tapping a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!

I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election! Trump continued, also tweeting, How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

An Obama spokesman forcefully pushed back against the accusation. "A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice," said Kevin Lewis, an Obama spokesman. "As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false."

Obama's former speechwriter, Jon Favreau, pointed out in a tweet that the former president's avowed lack of involvement does not mean that a legal FISA warrant could not have been granted to tap Trump's phones if the intelligence community had reason to do so. I'd be careful about reporting that Obama said there was no wiretapping. Statement just said that neither he nor the WH ordered it," Favreau tweeted.

Former deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes also tweeted back at Trump: No President can order a wiretap. Those restrictions were put in place to protect citizens from people like you."

Trumps top aides were caught off guard by the tweets Saturday morning, a senior administration official said. The president was scheduled to spend a quiet day golfing and relaxing at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. After several days without a controversial tweet and a relative message discipline following his speech to Congress on Tuesday evening, Trumps angry Twitter tirade marked a return to form and a trusted tactic of turning around the exact words being used against him on his opponents.

Trumps allegation that Obama carried out Nixon/Watergate-like wire-tapping comes at a time when his own administrations constant leaks and controversies have drawn comparisons to Nixons White House. His complaints of McCarthyism come from a president who was mentored by McCarthy adviser Roy Cohn and whose focus on rooting out undocumented immigrants has troubled critics who fear allegiance tests.

It was not immediately clear what specifically prompted the outburst, but the accusations parrot those made by conservative radio host Mark Levin, who on Thursday evening asserted that Obama used police state tactics to undermine Trump in the last months of his presidential campaign.

Breitbart senior editor Joel Pollak then picked up Levins argument on Friday.

It appears that the crux of that argument comes from reporting that U.S. officials secretly monitored a computer server in Trump Tower to determine whether there were links to Russian banks. A New York Times article published on Jan. 19 just one day before Trumps inauguration reported that U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies had intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a probe of links between Trumps campaign and Russian officials.

There has been no definitive reporting, however, that any phone lines belonging to the Trump campaign were tapped. If a judge found probable cause to conduct such secret monitoring, it likely would have been after being presented with enough evidence to suspect illegal conduct or communication with a foreign leader.

Trump and his team have been dogged by allegations of contacts between his campaign and Russian intelligence officials that occurred as Russians were allegedly attempting to tilt the election in Trumps favor by hacking Democratic targets.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told attendees at a raucous town hall in Clemson, South Carolina, that he was "very worried" about the allegations. "The president of the United States is claiming that the former president of the United States ordered wiretapping of his campaign last year, Graham told the crowd. I dont know if its true or not, but if it is true, illegally, it would be the biggest political scandal since Watergate.

After several people in the crowd began to boo and yell, Graham asked them to calm down so he could continue. If the former president of the United States was able to obtain a warrant lawfully to monitor the Trump campaign for violating law, that would be the biggest scandal since Watergate, he said.

Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, who opposed both Trump and Hillary Clinton in the presidential campaign, called the current political atmosphere a "civilization-warping crisis of public trust" after Trump's allegations.

"The president today made some very serious allegations, and the informed citizens that a republic requires deserve more information," Sasse said. "If without [an authorization], the president should explain what sort of wiretap it was and how he knows this. It is possible that he was illegally tapped."

Democrats were also blunt.

"If there is something bad or sick going on, it is the willingness of the nation's chief executive to make the most outlandish and destructive claims without providing a scintilla of evidence to support them," said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. "No matter how much we hope and pray that this president will grow into one who respects and understands the Constitution, separation of powers, role of a free press, responsibilities as the leader of the free world, or demonstrates even the most basic regard for the truth, we must now accept that President Trump will never become that man."

The scandal flared up this week when it was revealed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with the Russian ambassador twice last year despite telling senators during his confirmation hearing that he had no communication with the Russians during the campaign.

Sessions was a key adviser to Trumps campaign.

On Saturday morning, Trump attempted to turn the scrutiny to the Obama administration.

The first meeting Jeff Sessions had with the Russian Amb was set up by the Obama Administration under education program for 100 Ambs...... Trump tweeted, adding, Just out: The same Russian Ambassador that met Jeff Sessions visited the Obama White House 22 times, and 4 times last year alone.

Trump's aggressive accusations come as his team has tried to battle numerous leaks regarding law enforcement and intelligence agency investigations into not only allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election but also potential ties between his campaign and the Kremlin.

Trump has raised eyebrows by repeatedly singling out Russian President Vladimir Putin for praise. National security adviser Michael Flynn had to resign last month for misleading Vice President Mike Pence and others about the nature of his post-election conversations with Russian officials. Trump himself has denied that his people were in regular contact with Russian officials, but the controversy has spawned multiple congressional investigations and has fueled calls for a special prosecutor.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Saturday said the current congressional probes are not enough. The Deflector-in-Chief is at it again. An investigation by an independent commission is the only answer, she tweeted.

Trump finished off his tweetstorm on Saturday with an unrelated parting shot for a rival who has nothing to do with the Russia scandal. A day after Arnold Schwarzenegger blamed Trump for the dismal ratings of his version of "Celebrity Apprentice," Trump tweeted: Arnold Schwarzenegger isnt voluntarily leaving the Apprentice, he was fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings, not by me. Sad end to great show.

It had been less than four full days since he said, in his address to Congress on Tuesday night, that the time for trivial fights is behind us.

Burgess Everett contributed to this report.

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Trump accuses Obama of wire tapping Trump Tower phones