Jim Bourg/Reuters
Asked about his unfounded allegations that President Obama wiretapped him prior to the 2016 election, President Donald Trump on Friday pointed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and said, “At least we have that in common.” The remark came during Trump and Merkel’s joint press conference at the White House following their first official meeting since the new U.S. president’s inauguration. Trump’s remark referenced allegations from several years ago that the National Security Agency under Obama had wiretapped Merkel’s phones—a charge that emerged after Snowden-leaked documents revealed the chancellor had angrily called the former president for reassurance that she was not subject to surveillance efforts. Asked further about his administration now saying British officials wiretapped him on request from Obama, Trump deflected blame, telling reporters to direct their questions to a Fox News judicial analyst who initially made the claim based on anonymous sources.