President Trump on Thursday raised the possibility that the FBI influenced the 2016 election and questioned whether Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid the Russians, exclaiming “What a mess!”
”Disproven and paid for by Democrats ’Dossier used to spy on Trump Campaign. Did FBI use Intel tool to influence the Election?’ @foxandfriends Did Dems or Clinton also pay Russians? Where are hidden and smashed DNC servers? Where are Crooked Hillary Emails? What a mess!,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Trump was referring to an interview on “Fox and Friends” that suggested the controversial dossier, which contained unverified claims that Trump’s campaign was connected to the Russians, was used to get a warrant to spy on his campaign.
According to news reports, the FBI obtained a secret order in the summer of 2016 to monitor Carter Page, then a campaign adviser for Trump who the agency believed was communicating with Russian agents.
They obtained that warrant through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows intelligence agencies to spy on foreigners. But critics say Americans are often swept up in that surveillance.
The program, which dates back to the 9/11 attacks, comes up for an authorization vote on Thursday in Congress.
Trump blasted FISA in another Tweet criticizing the dossier.
“House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.” This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?,” he said.
But then about two hours later, in another tweet, he called for it to be authorized.
“With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!,” he posted.
The dossier was compiled by a former British intelligence officer after being contracted by research firm Fusion GPS.
The company had been paid by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee in April 2016 to do opposition research on Trump.
Page has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged in the probe.