Americans live in two realities when it comes to the Russia investigation. On one side is the intelligence community, and on the other side is a Republican Party that very much believes President Trump's alternative facts. Including, apparently, that Trump's offices were wiretapped during the 2016 election. A new CBS poll shows three in four Republicans believe it's at least “somewhat likely” that Trump's offices were wiretapped or under some kind of surveillance during the campaign. While 35 percent believe it's “very likely,” 39 percent say it's “somewhat likely.” About half (49 percent) of independents also say it's at least “somewhat likely.”
Trump contended in a series of tweets a few weeks back that Trump Tower had been wiretapped and that none other than President Obama was behind it. But even Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the House Intelligence Committee chairman under fire for being too friendly with the White House, has said that assertion is incorrect. Nunes has said that “there was no wiretapping of Trump Tower. That did not happen.” He has also said, “Clearly, the president was wrong.”
Nunes, of course, then claimed last week that there is evidence that Trump and his associates' communications were swept up in what is known as “incidental collection.” As I've noted, though, that doesn't mean Trump was actually targeted by the surveillance. Nonetheless, this led Trump to assert partial vindication.
For the record, here's the question CBS asked: “How likely do you think it is that Donald Trump’s offices were wiretapped, or under government surveillance during the 2016 presidential campaign?” Strictly speaking, even Nunes has acknowledged Trump's offices were not under surveillance.
So what we have here is another situation in which Trump makes an evidence-free claim, the White House moves the goal posts to suggest he was saying something less severe than he actually said, and eventually enough reasonable doubt emerges for partisans to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.
Which is par for the course. The Trump-Russia saga has already proven that Republicans are very much willing to take Trump's word for it rather than believe the intelligence community — and, by extension, the media.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-an-alternate-reality/?utm_term=.35a9fa40d64f
Trump contended in a series of tweets a few weeks back that Trump Tower had been wiretapped and that none other than President Obama was behind it. But even Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the House Intelligence Committee chairman under fire for being too friendly with the White House, has said that assertion is incorrect. Nunes has said that “there was no wiretapping of Trump Tower. That did not happen.” He has also said, “Clearly, the president was wrong.”
Nunes, of course, then claimed last week that there is evidence that Trump and his associates' communications were swept up in what is known as “incidental collection.” As I've noted, though, that doesn't mean Trump was actually targeted by the surveillance. Nonetheless, this led Trump to assert partial vindication.
For the record, here's the question CBS asked: “How likely do you think it is that Donald Trump’s offices were wiretapped, or under government surveillance during the 2016 presidential campaign?” Strictly speaking, even Nunes has acknowledged Trump's offices were not under surveillance.
So what we have here is another situation in which Trump makes an evidence-free claim, the White House moves the goal posts to suggest he was saying something less severe than he actually said, and eventually enough reasonable doubt emerges for partisans to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.
Which is par for the course. The Trump-Russia saga has already proven that Republicans are very much willing to take Trump's word for it rather than believe the intelligence community — and, by extension, the media.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-an-alternate-reality/?utm_term=.35a9fa40d64f
