While newly-minted Team Trump member Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) ranted about an alleged FBI conspiracy on MSNBC, Fox & Friends contributor Andrew Napolitano lamented the president’s decision to support reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). As an avowed Fox & Friends fan, Trump was apparently watching Thursday’s broadcast, for soon after Napolitano pleaded with him not to support the House vote (which passed late Thursday morning), he attacked it and the NSA’s significant surveillance powers on Twitter.
“Mr. President, this is not the way to go,” Napolitano addressed the Fox News camera. “Spying is valid to find the foreign agents among us, but it’s got to be based on suspicion and not an area code.” Cue Trump’s tweeted ire: “This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?”
“House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.” This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
Considering a previous tweet’s focus on the Christopher Steele dossier and the Clinton campaign’s alleged involvement in its creation, it is evident that a previous Fox & Friends segment was all about the purported Russian collusion by Democrats. Even so, that Trump would willingly attack what amounts to be his own administration’s position after watching a cable news segment is distressing. As NBC News points out, an official White House statement on Wednesday night urged the House to reject a proposed amendment that would limit the surveillance capabilities provided by FISA to the NSA.
Hence why Trump walked back his tweeted criticism nearly two hours later. “I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land,” he exclaimed. “We need it! Get smart!”
With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018