Since his entry into politics Donald Trump’s tweets have often been the subject of controversy or derision. In the case of one series of tweets the subject matter was such that they could not be left unchallenged and now their contents are being put to the test.
Wire tapping
Last weekend President #Donald Trump sent a number of tweets regarding allegations of wiretapping of Trump Tower that, according to him, had been ordered by his predecessor Barack Obama.
These allegations were immediately subject to derision by those who oppose The President and controversy by many others.
The claims were not backed by proof and not only did members of the White House staff have great difficulty in defending and explaining them, but also senior members of the Republican Party from both the Senate and Congress had greater difficulty in accepting them at face value.
Consequences
What immediately became apparent was that the President in his zeal to make the announcement did not consider the consequences of the allegations.
These consequences are simple. The accusations were considered by many as distractions from the difficulties caused by the Russian interference scandal which had to the resignation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, or the decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any investigations into the allegations.
Worse still, if the allegations were real then the order was made because it was part of an ongoing investigation, but not by the Obama Administration.
His tweets revealed that he did not understand that wiretaps could not be ordered by the Oval Office but only by a judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) and that such an decision could only be granted because of due cause.
For this reason the Oval Office was immediately asked to provide proof of the accusations which so far as not been forthcoming. .
Congress
Yesterday President Trump received the inevitable result of the controversial series of tweets.
As reported by Associated Press the House Intelligence Committee asked the White House to provide proof of the allegations by Monday.
The request was signed by the committee’s Chairman Republican Devin Nunes and by the senior Democrat Adam Schiff.
This request is one that cannot be easily refused and any such refusal can have serious consequences on the country’s Executive Branch. Like the boy who cried wolf in the old fable, the President has been called to face the truth of his allegations.
At this stage nobody can predict what will happen over the next few days and at the present time there is nothing on which the allegations can be seriously assessed by the legislators or the public. All the Legislative branch and the country can do is wait for the reply from the Oval Office.
In the meantime the President’s flow of tweets has slowed to a small trickle since he made these allegations. This may be a sign that Donald Trump this week learned that his every word has consequences, even for himself.
