After Trump tweet, UK spy agency says claim it spied on Trump is utterly ridiculous

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

POLITICS APRIL 24, 2019 / 8:12 AM / UPDATED 41 MINUTES AGO

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s main eavesdropping agency on Wednesday said allegations that it had been asked by the Obama administration to spy on Donald Trump after the 2016 presidential election were utterly ridiculous and should be ignored.

Trump on Wednesday tweeted that a former CIA analyst, Larry Johnson, had accused Britain of spying on the Trump campaign. Trump said: “It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!”

When asked about the tweet, a GCHQ spokesman said: “The allegations that GCHQ was asked to conduct ‘wire tapping’ against the then President Elect are nonsense. They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored.”

Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Editing by Paul Sandle


Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-espionage/after-trump-tweet-uk-spy-agency-says-claim-it-spied-on-trump-is-utterly-ridiculous-idUSKCN1S01J0

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Short article. No more at link.

[Girard442]

1. "Spying" is in the eye of the beholder.

If British Intel people aren’t collecting info on all heads of state, they aren’t doing their jobs. At what point that becomes nefarious is kind of a judgement call.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Larry Johnson? Larry Johnson is utterly ridiculous as a human being

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10028813258

[abqtommy]

3. It's not necessary to perform clandestine survellance on tRump

since he commits his crimes in plain sight for all to see!

[eggplant]

4. Perhaps they were only spying on all of the people he was talking to.

[yaesu]

5. tinker tailor soldier tRump

[paleotn]

6. Is this his out for canceling on the Brits again?

We know how he is about massive protests. His welcome to the UK won’t be a warm one

[karynnj]

7. Larry Johnson was a PUMA running No Quarters, against Obama, then in 2016

turned against Hillary Clinton. His wikipedia page shows that he has regularly "created" fake charges against many Democrats.

[CottonBear]

8. What or who is a PUMA? Thanks! N/T

[murielm99]

9. PUMAs

are largely in the minds of Berniebros and Hillary haters.

[karynnj]

10. A right wing effort to suggest that people for Clinton in the primaries

were against Obama after he won the nomination. As can be seen, Johnson was NEVER really a Clinton supporter. He was a right winger. He tried to establish that identity so he could then spread lies against Obama and to try to divide some Democrats. The goal obviously was that they should vote for McCain or not vote.

Minus a hostile foreign power, it can be seen as an precursor of some of the "Bernie Bros" spreading lies on social media to harm Clinton in 2016.

[billh58]

11. Party Unity My Ass... n/t