Trump Jokes About Wiretapping of Germany's Merkel: ‘We Have Something in Common'

WASHINGTON -- In an otherwise chilly summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Donald Trump found common ground Friday by joking that they'd both had their phones tapped by Barack Obama.Trump made the comment when a German reporter asked him whether he regrets the allegation -- for which he and his aides have yet to provide any evidence -- that the previous president ordered wiretaps on him at Trump Tower last year. "As far as wiretapping by, I guess, this past administration, at least we have something in common, perhaps," Trump said with Merkel at his side in the East Room of the White House.In 2013, allegations emerged that U.S. intelligence agencies had been monitoring Merkel's cell phone. Earlier that year, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed details of secret U.S. eavesdropping programs.Merkel quickly denounced "spying among friends....We need trust among allies and partners." The Obama administration denied that Merkel's calls were being monitored but didn't explicitly reject the possibility such monitoring had taken place in the past.Last month, she testified before a German parliamentary panel investigating allegations that NSA had eavesdropped on her and other German officials.  Continue reading...

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