President Donald Trump tweeted in support of a controversial surveillance bill Thursday shortly after saying the U.S. government had abused its power.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), designed to allow the National Security Agency (NSA) to collect foreign data in relation to national security, incidentally gathers millions of records on American citizens. That data can then be accessed without a warrant by agencies such as the FBI to investigate domestic crimes.
On Wednesday the White House asserted that the Trump administration was in support of reauthorizing 702 and opposed to an amendment that would require warrants.
The following morning Trump stated on Twitter that 702 may have been used to surveil his campaign and transition team in an apparent rebuke of the White House statement.
“‘House votes on controversial FISA ACT today,'” Trump tweeted. “This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?”
“House votes on controversial FISA ACT today.” This is the act that may have been used, with the help of the discredited and phony Dossier, to so badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign by the previous administration and others?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul also stated the president was in support of the amendment to require warrants despite the White House statement.
.@SenRandPauI says he spoke with @realDonaldTrump about FISA and both agreed on position counter to what WH statement outlined last night, says POTUS sides with Paul/Amash proposals for FISA reform. pic.twitter.com/qG0kJMcRLg
— Alex Mallin (@alex_mallin) January 11, 2018
WATCH: @RandPaul @BillHemmer on the FISA Act vote today pic.twitter.com/jOTgMJ1ODi
— America's Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) January 11, 2018
Roughly one hour after his initial tweet, Trump returned to Twitter in support of 702 reauthorization, claiming the surveillance tool was only used to collect data on “foreign bad guys on foreign land.”
“With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land,” Trump said. “We need it! Get smart!”
With that being said, I have personally directed the fix to the unmasking process since taking office and today’s vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land. We need it! Get smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018
While Trump did come out in support of 702, as stated in his tweet, the president also instructed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to make reforms to the unmasking process.
Those reforms, however, do not stop the NSA from collecting Americans’ data and sharing it with domestic government agencies.
DNI Coats Establishes New Intelligence Community Policy on Requests for Identities of U.S. Persons in Disseminated Intelligence Reports, commonly referred to as “unmasking:” https://t.co/Dc3qfVbNXO https://t.co/Jm3LeOAzYG
— Office of the DNI (@ODNIgov) January 11, 2018
The House voted Thursday afternoon 183 to 233 to shoot down the amendment to limit the government’s access to Americans’ data.
Both Rand Paul and Sen. Ron Wyden threatened to filibuster 702 reauthorization if it makes its way to the Senate.
Both @RandPaul and @RonWyden threatening to filibuster 702 reauthorization in the Senate pic.twitter.com/jqzZsZ37CU
— Mikael Thalen (@MikaelThalen) January 11, 2018
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!
