Mar 22, 2017

House Intel Chair "alarmed" by potential surveillance on Trump team

Evan Vucci / AP

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told reporters on Wednesday he was "alarmed" by news from "sources" of possible surveillance collected on the Trump transition team.

What we know: Nunes told reporters he had learned of "legally collected foreign intelligence" that isn't related to Russia, and may have been picked up via "incidental collection." Nunes has briefed Speaker Paul Ryan, and is visiting the White House today.

What we don't know: Who gave the information to Nunes, what it showed, precisely who was targeted for the surveillance, or whether this contradicts testimony delivered Monday by FBI Director James Comey, who said there was "no information" supporting Trump's tweets claiming he was "wiretapped" by Obama.

When directly asked by Bloomberg columnist Eli Lake whether the Obama administration was spying on the Trump transition, Nunes replied:

It all depends on one's definition of spying.

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Hans Nichols
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Biden's doctrine: Erase Trump, re-embrace the world

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto, and Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Foreign policy will look drastically different if Joe Biden defeats President Trump in November, advisers tell Axios — starting with a Day One announcement that the U.S. is re-entering the Paris Climate Agreement and new global coordination of the coronavirus response.

The big picture: If Trump's presidency started the "America First" era of withdrawal from global alliances, Biden's team says his presidency would be the opposite: a re-engagement with the world and an effort to rebuild those alliances — fast.

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Gigi Sukin
12 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Robert Mueller speaks out on Roger Stone commutation

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill on Wednesday July 24, 2019. Photo: The Washington Post / Contributor

Former special counsel Robert Mueller responded to claims from President Trump and his allies that Roger Stone was a "victim" in the Justice Department's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, writing in a Washington Post op-ed published Saturday: "He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so."

Why it matters: The rare public comments by Mueller come on the heels of President Trump's move to commute the sentence of his longtime associate, who was sentenced in February to 40 months in prison for crimes stemming from the Russia investigation. The controversial decision brought an abrupt end to the possibility of Stone spending time behind bars.

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Jacob Knutson
13 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump dons face mask during Walter Reed visit

Trump wearing a face mask in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on July 11. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump wore a face mask during his Saturday visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to AP.

Why it matters: This is the first known occasion the president has appeared publicly with a facial covering as recommended by health officials since the coronavirus pandemic began, AP writes.

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