UK spy agency calls Trump’s ‘wiretapping’ charges tweet ‘utterly-ridiculous nonsense’

Following Donald Trump’s tweet quoting a former CIA analyst who accused a UK spy agency of spying on his campaign, the intelligence organization responded, calling the accusations “ridiculous,” and to “be ignored.”

The United Kingdom’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) was prompt to dismiss the US President’s implication that they worked with the Obama administration to surveil his election campaign.

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.

Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that a former CIA analyst Larry Johnson had implicated the UK in spying on the president’s 2016 campaign.

He captioned the post, saying, “It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!” suggesting the agency might have something to answer for.

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UK spy chiefs up in arms over Trump making public Russiagate surveillance requests – report

Johnson initially floated the idea in 2017 alongside suggestions that the CIA was responsible for the DNC hack rather than Russia, and general criticisms of the Obama administration. The suggestion was repeated by Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano and the then White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Fury immediately followed across the pond, but was quickly abated when the administration distanced itself from the news report.

The issue cropped up again last November, when media reports emerged that British spy agency MI6 was fighting to prevent Donald Trump from publishing classified information regarding an FBI wiretap on one of his campaign advisers. MI6 reportedly opposed Trump’s move because it would hamper intelligence-gathering sources and methods. Trump allies, however, said that the British were worried about being implicated themselves.

Trump has also recently retweeted claims that the UK had created the Russiagate scandal in order to push the US to take a hard-line stance against Moscow. 

Testifying after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, US Attorney General William Barr told a Senate subcommittee he believes some kind of “spying” had taken place, stressing that “spying on a political campaign is a big deal.” While he later stated he did not believe any “improper surveillance” was carried out, he emphasized his concern over unspecified actions taken by the FBI.

Trump is scheduled to visit the UK in June where he will meet with Prime Minister Theresa May and the Queen. On Tuesday the White House said the meeting is intended to “reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”

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