Skeptical lawmakers pressure Comey on Trump wiretap claimWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key Republican lawmaker said on Wednesday he did not believe the Obama administration wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election campaign, adding to pressure on FBI Director James Comey to provide evidence supporting or debunking Republican President Donald Trump’s claim. “We don’t have any evidence that that took place,” House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told a news conference. “I don’t think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower.” Trump made the claim on Twitter on March 4 without providing evidence. Nunes’ congressional committee is one of at least four that have added the startling accusation to investigations of possible Russian meddling in the election campaign and Russian ties to Trump and his associates. James Clapper, the director of national intelligence under Obama, has said he knew of no warrant to wiretap Trump Tower. Nunes said if Trump’s tweets were taken literally, then “clearly the president was wrong.” With his statements, Nunes, who served on Trump’s transition team, joined other lawmakers, including some of his fellow Republicans, who have been skeptical about the president’s claim, and frustrated with what they see as federal law enforcement’s failure to provide them with information. The top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, Adam Schiff, said at the news conference with Nunes that Comey would be asked about wiretap evidence at a rare public hearing on Monday. “It deeply concerns me that the president would make such an accusation without basis,” Schiff said. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia  conducted cyber attacks on Democrats in an effort to influence the 2016 U.S. election on Trump’s behalf. Russia has denied this. At the same time, Trump has been dogged by allegations that his associates had ties to Russian officials. Trump fired his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, last month after he failed to disclose contacts with Russia’s ambassador before Trump took office on Jan. 20.   Trump seemed to back away from his accusation of wiretapping in a Fox News interview on Wednesday, saying “wiretap covers a lot of different things.” Without providing details, the president added, “I think you’re going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks,” according to excerpts of the interview, which will air later on Wednesday. Schiff and Nunes said they sent a letter asking Comey, Rogers and CIA Director Mike Pompeo to provide by Friday information on leaks of classified information, including names of any Americans that might have been gathered. Schiff said he expected the Federal Bureau of Investigation to cooperate. The committee leaders said they were prepared to issue subpoenas if they did not. In Richmond, Virginia, Attorney General Jeff Sessions told reporters that he never gave Trump any reason to believe he was wiretapped by the previous administration, according to a transcript provided by CBS News. While White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Trump “feels very comfortable” that information existed regarding surveillance conducted during 2016, a number of Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress remained unconvinced. Spicer told reporters traveling on Air Force One on Wednesday that Trump had not meant wiretaps specifically. “He was very clear that he used the word ‘wiretap’ generally, he put it in quotes to mean that it counts for surveillance and all types of activity of that sort,” Spicer said. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he had no reason to believe a judge ever issued a warrant, which would have reflected there was probable cause that the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians. If it is not true, he said, the FBI should confirm that. Graham and Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on crime and terrorism, asked Comey two weeks ago to provide information on Russian activities and the wiretapping by Wednesday.  Graham said on Wednesday that the FBI had responded that it would provide an answer to him and Whitehouse at a future classified briefing. “The bottom line is a lot of Americans are wondering what’s going on here,” Graham said at a subcommittee hearing, titled “The Modus Operandi and Toolbox of Russia and Other Autocracies for Undermining Democracies Throughout the World.” Whitehouse said he would prefer an unclassified briefing. Comey met on Wednesday with the Judiciary Committee chairman, Chuck Grassley, and its top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein. A law enforcement official said the meeting was an opportunity for the senators to ask Comey about subjects that concern them, expected to center on FBI investigations of Trump and associates’ Russia contacts, as well as the wiretap claim. politicsNews
skeptical lawmakers pressure come trump wiretap claimwashington reuters a key republican lawmaker said wednesday believe obama administration wiretapped trump tower election campaign adding pressure fbi director james come provide evidence supporting debunking republican president donald trump claim we evidence took place house representatives intelligence committee chairman devil tunes told news conference i think actual tap trump trump made claim twitter march without providing evidence tunes congressional committee one least four added startling accusation investigations possible russian meddling election campaign russian ties trump associates james clipper director national intelligence obama said knew warrant wiretap trump tower tunes said trump tweets taken literally clearly president with statements tunes served trump transition team joined lawmakers including fellow republicans skeptical president claim frustrated see federal law enforcement failure provide information the top democrat house intelligence panel adam chief said news conference tunes come would asked wiretap evidence rare public hearing monday it deeply concerns president would make accusation without basis chief said intelligence agencies concluded russia conducted cyber attacks democrats effort influence election trump behalf russia denied at time trump dogged allegations associates ties russian officials trump fired national security adviser michael flynn last month failed disclose contacts russia ambassador trump took office trump seemed back away accusation wiretapping fox news interview wednesday saying wiretap covers lot different without providing details president added i think going find interesting items coming forefront next two weeks according excerpts interview air later wednesday chief tunes said sent letter asking come rogers cia director mike pope provide friday information leaks classified information including names americans might gathered chief said expected federal bureau investigation cooperate the committee leaders said prepared issue subpoena in richmond virginia attorney general jeff sessions told reporters never gave trump reason believe wiretapped previous administration according transcript provided cbs news while white house spokesman sean spider told reporters trump feels comfortable information existed regarding surveillance conducted number trump fellow republicans congress remained unconvinced spider told reporters traveling air force one wednesday trump meant wiretaps specifically he clear used word wiretap generally put quotes mean counts surveillance types activity sort spider said republican senator lindsay graham said reason believe judge ever issued warrant would reflected probable cause trump campaign colliding russian if true said fbi confirm graham democratic senator seldom whitehouse chairman ranking member senate judiciary committee subcommittee crime terrorism asked come two weeks ago provide information russian activities wiretapping wednesday graham said wednesday fbi responded would provide answer whitehouse future classified briefing the bottom line lot americans wondering going graham said subcommittee hearing titled the modus operandi toolbox russia other autocracies undermining democracies throughout whitehouse said would prefer unclassified briefing come met wednesday judiciary committee chairman chuck grasses top democrat diane einstein a law enforcement official said meeting opportunity senators ask come subjects concern expected center fbi investigations trump associates russia contacts well wiretap claim politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Skeptical lawmakers pressure Comey on Trump wiretap claimWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key Republican lawmaker said on Wednesday he did not believe the Obama administration wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election campaign, adding to pressure on FBI Director James Comey to provide evidence supporting or debunking Republican President Donald Trump’s claim. “We don’t have any evidence that that took place,” House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told a news conference. “I don’t think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower.” Trump made the claim on Twitter on March 4 without providing evidence. Nunes’ congressional committee is one of at least four that have added the startling accusation to investigations of possible Russian meddling in the election campaign and Russian ties to Trump and his associates. James Clapper, the director of national intelligence under Obama, has said he knew of no warrant to wiretap Trump Tower. Nunes said if Trump’s tweets were taken literally, then “clearly the president was wrong.” With his statements, Nunes, who served on Trump’s transition team, joined other lawmakers, including some of his fellow Republicans, who have been skeptical about the president’s claim, and frustrated with what they see as federal law enforcement’s failure to provide them with information. The top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, Adam Schiff, said at the news conference with Nunes that Comey would be asked about wiretap evidence at a rare public hearing on Monday. “It deeply concerns me that the president would make such an accusation without basis,” Schiff said. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia  conducted cyber attacks on Democrats in an effort to influence the 2016 U.S. election on Trump’s behalf. Russia has denied this. At the same time, Trump has been dogged by allegations that his associates had ties to Russian officials. Trump fired his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, last month after he failed to disclose contacts with Russia’s ambassador before Trump took office on Jan. 20.   Trump seemed to back away from his accusation of wiretapping in a Fox News interview on Wednesday, saying “wiretap covers a lot of different things.” Without providing details, the president added, “I think you’re going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks,” according to excerpts of the interview, which will air later on Wednesday. Schiff and Nunes said they sent a letter asking Comey, Rogers and CIA Director Mike Pompeo to provide by Friday information on leaks of classified information, including names of any Americans that might have been gathered. Schiff said he expected the Federal Bureau of Investigation to cooperate. The committee leaders said they were prepared to issue subpoenas if they did not. In Richmond, Virginia, Attorney General Jeff Sessions told reporters that he never gave Trump any reason to believe he was wiretapped by the previous administration, according to a transcript provided by CBS News. While White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Trump “feels very comfortable” that information existed regarding surveillance conducted during 2016, a number of Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress remained unconvinced. Spicer told reporters traveling on Air Force One on Wednesday that Trump had not meant wiretaps specifically. “He was very clear that he used the word ‘wiretap’ generally, he put it in quotes to mean that it counts for surveillance and all types of activity of that sort,” Spicer said. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he had no reason to believe a judge ever issued a warrant, which would have reflected there was probable cause that the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians. If it is not true, he said, the FBI should confirm that. Graham and Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on crime and terrorism, asked Comey two weeks ago to provide information on Russian activities and the wiretapping by Wednesday.  Graham said on Wednesday that the FBI had responded that it would provide an answer to him and Whitehouse at a future classified briefing. “The bottom line is a lot of Americans are wondering what’s going on here,” Graham said at a subcommittee hearing, titled “The Modus Operandi and Toolbox of Russia and Other Autocracies for Undermining Democracies Throughout the World.” Whitehouse said he would prefer an unclassified briefing. Comey met on Wednesday with the Judiciary Committee chairman, Chuck Grassley, and its top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein. A law enforcement official said the meeting was an opportunity for the senators to ask Comey about subjects that concern them, expected to center on FBI investigations of Trump and associates’ Russia contacts, as well as the wiretap claim. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: skeptical lawmakers pressure come trump wiretap claimwashington reuters a key republican lawmaker said wednesday believe obama administration wiretapped trump tower election campaign adding pressure fbi director james come provide evidence supporting debunking republican president donald trump claim we evidence took place house representatives intelligence committee chairman devil tunes told news conference i think actual tap trump trump made claim twitter march without providing evidence tunes congressional committee one least four added startling accusation investigations possible russian meddling election campaign russian ties trump associates james clipper director national intelligence obama said knew warrant wiretap trump tower tunes said trump tweets taken literally clearly president with statements tunes served trump transition team joined lawmakers including fellow republicans skeptical president claim frustrated see federal law enforcement failure provide information the top democrat house intelligence panel adam chief said news conference tunes come would asked wiretap evidence rare public hearing monday it deeply concerns president would make accusation without basis chief said intelligence agencies concluded russia conducted cyber attacks democrats effort influence election trump behalf russia denied at time trump dogged allegations associates ties russian officials trump fired national security adviser michael flynn last month failed disclose contacts russia ambassador trump took office trump seemed back away accusation wiretapping fox news interview wednesday saying wiretap covers lot different without providing details president added i think going find interesting items coming forefront next two weeks according excerpts interview air later wednesday chief tunes said sent letter asking come rogers cia director mike pope provide friday information leaks classified information including names americans might gathered chief said expected federal bureau investigation cooperate the committee leaders said prepared issue subpoena in richmond virginia attorney general jeff sessions told reporters never gave trump reason believe wiretapped previous administration according transcript provided cbs news while white house spokesman sean spider told reporters trump feels comfortable information existed regarding surveillance conducted number trump fellow republicans congress remained unconvinced spider told reporters traveling air force one wednesday trump meant wiretaps specifically he clear used word wiretap generally put quotes mean counts surveillance types activity sort spider said republican senator lindsay graham said reason believe judge ever issued warrant would reflected probable cause trump campaign colliding russian if true said fbi confirm graham democratic senator seldom whitehouse chairman ranking member senate judiciary committee subcommittee crime terrorism asked come two weeks ago provide information russian activities wiretapping wednesday graham said wednesday fbi responded would provide answer whitehouse future classified briefing the bottom line lot americans wondering going graham said subcommittee hearing titled the modus operandi toolbox russia other autocracies undermining democracies throughout whitehouse said would prefer unclassified briefing come met wednesday judiciary committee chairman chuck grasses top democrat diane einstein a law enforcement official said meeting opportunity senators ask come subjects concern expected center fbi investigations trump associates russia contacts well wiretap claim politicsnews