Obama is a ‘bad, sick guy’, he tapped my phone before election – President Trump

US President Donald Trump on Saturday again exploded on Twitter and took another swipe at the former President Barack Obama, accusing him of being “a bad, (or sick) guy who wire-tapped his phones before the election.

“Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!,” he wrote. 

“Is it legal for a sitting President to be ‘wire-tapping’ a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!” he added It wasn’t clear what, exactly, Trump was referring to as he accused his predecessor, whom he labeled a bad (or sick) guy!” He also said a talented lawyer could make “a great case” out of the situation.

Obama’s post-presidency office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Yahoo News on Trump’s accusation, and the White House did not immediately clarify from whom Trump had “just learned” this new information.

Trump has the authority to declassify almost any classified material, and could substantiate his accusations if he wanted to. The Saturday-morning Twitter storm was striking as Trump and Obama had largely appeared to paper over their differences — at least publicly — since the election.

Trump called Obama “a very good man” shortly after his stunning November victory. But Trump had started to increasingly blame Obama for his misfortunes, particularly an embarrassing and politically toxic string of leaks coming out of the federal government. Trump has been particularly irked by reports linking his campaign and transition team to Russia. 

He fired his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after it was revealed that the retired lieutenant general talked to Russia’s ambassador about Obama-era sanctions and then misled Vice President Mike Pence about them. But Trump has stood behind Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who this week has weathered a firestorm over his own conversations with the Russian ambassador during the campaign. During his confirmation hearing, Sessions indicated under oath that he had no contact with Russian officials. “Just out: The same Russian Ambassador that met Jeff Sessions visited the Obama White House 22 times, and 4 times last year alone,” Trump tweeted Saturday morning. 

It was not only Obama that got harangued by Trump’s tweets today. Trump also attacked actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger who reportedly quit the TV programme, Apprentice, the hosting of which had given Trump himself much fame. Trump had criticised Schwarzenegger in the past over his handling of the programme. But the actor had cheekily told him to face his job as president or trade places with him.