New York Times: 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.
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.”
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WNU Editor: It is this story that started this GHCQ speculation .... Napolitano: Obama Admin Used British GCHQ To Spy On Trump During Campaign (RCP). More speculation is here .... How John Brennan and Some Brits Tried to Tip the Election to Hillary ( George Neumayr, Spectator).
Update: More fuel to the fire from President Trump .... Donald Trump says Fox News analyst who claimed GCHQ behind Obama 'wiretap' is a 'very talented legal mind' (The Telegraph). More here .... White House: No apology to British government over spying claims (CNN), and here .... Trump Deflects Blame for Spat With U.K. Over Spying Allegations (Bloomberg)
This refusal to apologise is a "back-track" from earlier reports in the day (see below):
UK says U.S. claims about spying will not be repeated -- Reuters
WH promises not to repeat claim that UK spied on Trump -- AP
UK raps White House over 'ridiculous' Trump spy claims -- AFP
GCHQ dismisses 'utterly ridiculous' claim it helped wiretap Trump -- The Guardian
US will 'not repeat' claims GCHQ wiretapped Donald Trump -- BBC
Claims GCHQ spy agency wiretapped Donald Trump will not be repeated, Theresa May's spokesman says -- ABC News Online
White House reassures London over 'ridiculous' GCHQ spying claims -- DW