UPDATED Trump: Being Wiretapped By Obama Is Something Merkel And I Have In Common
Source: Talking Points Memo
By KRISTIN SALAKY Published MARCH 17, 2017, 3:04 PM EDT
After months of bad blood, President Donald Trump seemed to attempted to strike some camaraderie Friday at the White House by suggesting he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had at least one thing in common: they both were bugged by the Obama administration.
When asked about his unsubstantiated claims that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the election and that he enlisted British intelligence to do so, a claim that the White House has now apologized for, Trump seemed to make a joke of it.
As far as wiretapping, I guess, by this past administration, at least we have something in common, perhaps, he said, gesturing to a visibly uncomfortable Merkel. The crowd laughed several seconds later.
Trump was most likely referring to revelations brought forward by Wikileaks that the NSA had wiretapped Merkel and other German chancellors for decades. Obama denied these allegations and assured Merkel at the time that he was not tapping her phone, according to CBS News.
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-angela-merkel-wiretap-comment
Trump: 'Our Free Trade Has Led To A Lot Of Bad Things'
By MATT SHUHAM Published MARCH 17, 2017, 2:49 PM EDT
President Donald Trump emphasized the difference between his support for so-called fair trade and isolationism on Friday, calling reports that he supported the latter fake news. Trump was responding to a German reporter, during a joint press briefing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who asked Merkel, according to NBCs translation, "how dangerous do you think this isolationist policy of the U.S. President is?
The reporter asked Trump if he thought his America First policy would weaken the European Union, and why he was so afraid of what he called fake news, in light of his own unsubstantiated claim that former President Obama had ordered surveillance on him.
Nice, friendly reporter, Trump responded. First of all, I don't believe in an isolationist policy. But I also believe a policy of trade should be a fair policy. And the United States has been treated very, very unfairly by many countries over the years. And that's going to stop. But I'm not an isolationist. I'm a free trader, but I'm also a fair trader.
And our free trade has led to a lot of bad things happening, he continued. You look at the deficits we have and you look at all of the accumulation of debt. We're a very powerful company country. We're a very strong, very strong country. We'll soon be at a level that we, perhaps, have never been before. Our military is going to be strengthened. It's been depleted. But I am a trader, I am a fair trader, I am a trader that wants to see good for everybody worldwide.
more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-free-trade-fair-trade-isolationism
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Trump Offers No Apology for Claim on British Spying
WASHINGTON — President Trump refused to back down on Friday after his White House aired an unverified claim that Britain’s spy agency secretly monitored him during last year’s campaign at the behest of President Barack Obama, fueling a rare rupture between the United States and its most important international partner.
Although his aides in private conversations since Thursday night had tried to calm British officials who were livid over the claim, Mr. Trump made clear that he felt the White House had nothing to retract or apologize for. He said his spokesman was simply repeating an assertion made by a Fox News commentator.
“We said nothing,” Mr. Trump told a German reporter who asked about the matter at a joint White House news conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel. “All we did was quote a certain very talented legal mind who was the one responsible for saying that on television. I didn’t make an opinion on it.” He added: “You shouldn’t be talking to me. You should be talking to Fox.”
Mr. Trump, who has stuck by his unsubstantiated assertion that Mr. Obama ordered his telephone tapped last year despite across-the-board denials, wryly used Ms. Merkel’s visit to repeat his contention. Ms. Merkel was angry during Mr. Obama’s administration at reports that the United States had tapped her cellphone and those of other foreign leaders. Turning to her, Mr. Trump said, “At least we have something in common, perhaps.”
After the news conference Mr. Spicer echoed Mr. Trump’s defiant tone. “I don’t think we regret anything,” he told reporters. “As the president said, I was just reading off media reports.”
more
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/europe/trump-britain-obama-wiretap-gchq.html?emc=edit_na_20170317&nl=breaking-news&nlid=57435284&ref=headline&_r=0
= new reply since forum marked as read
Thank God she was!
The deplorable mockery of a human who was hosting her at the White House looking like a petulant little boy spent most of his time dodging questions and responsibility.
He is in so far over his head, it is mindboggling! 
