US & Canada

Senate intelligence panel rejects Trump wiretap claim

President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office of the White House. Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Trump said his predecessor wiretapped his phone but has produced no evidence

There are "no indications" that Trump Tower was under surveillance by the US government before or after the election, a Senate committee has said.

The statement from Republican Senator Richard Burr, Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, dismissed Donald Trump's claim his phones were tapped.

Mr Trump had accused his predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the presidential race.

Mr Burr joins a cadre of lawmakers who have rejected the allegation.

Earlier on Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan also said "no such wiretap existed".

"The intelligence committees, in their continuing, widening, ongoing investigations of all things Russia, got to the bottom - at least so far with respect to our intelligence community - that no such wiretap existed," Mr Ryan said at a news conference.

Republican chairman of the House intelligence committee Devin Nunes said on Wednesday he doesn't believe "there was an actual tap of Trump Tower".

Media captionRepublicans have questions about Trump and his wiretap claim

But Mr Trump stood by his unverified allegations on Wednesday, telling Fox News a "wiretap covers a lot of different things".

He also hinted that more details about the alleged surveillance could be revealed in the coming weeks.

"Wiretap covers a lot of different things. I think you're going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks," he said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday night.

No evidence of wiretapping, according to:

  • former President Barack Obama
  • FBI Director James Comey
  • ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
  • ex-CIA Director John Brennan
  • Republican chairman of House intelligence committee, Devin Nunes
  • Republican John McCain, who chairs Senate Committee on Armed Services
  • House Speaker Paul Ryan
  • Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough

Mr Trump echoed comments from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who said the president used the word "wiretap" in quotes to broadly refer to "surveillance and other activities".

The White House has yet to provide any evidence of the president's claims, and instead has asked Congress to examine the allegation as part of a wider investigation into alleged Russian interference in last year's election.

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