“This is the case made by the New York Times, The Washington Post, McClatchy and the rest of them. I just put it together,” radio host Mark Levin said Sunday as he quoted media reports to back up President Donald Trump claim on Twitter that the Obama White House had spied on him.
“The evidence is overwhelming. This is about the Obama Administration spying. And, the question isn’t whether it spied; we know they went to the FISA court twice. The question is the EXTENT of the spying,” Levin said in a Fox News Channel interview.
“I need to make the case because the media seems to be confused ABOUT THEIR OWN REPORTING,” Levin said.
“The issue isn’t whether the Obama Administration spied on the Trump campaign or transition or certain of its surrogates – the issue is the extent of it.”
Levin used eight “exhibits” – quotes from news reports – to make the case that the Obama Administration spied on Trump:
Exhibit 1: Heatst
Exhibit 2: The Guardian
Exhibit 3: McClatchy
Exhibit 4: New York Times
Exhibit 5: New York Times
Exhibit 6: New York Times
Exhibit 7: New York Times
Exhibit 8: Washington Post
“And, I’m telling you as former chief of staff to an attorney general of the United States in the Reagan Administration: these are police state tactics,” Levin declared.
What’s more, Obama must have known about the spying, Levin said:
“Now, what did Barack Obama know? He knew everything I read to you, apart from one or two articles. You know how I know? It’s in the newspapers!”
“It’s right there. So, Barack Obama not only knew this, but he gets a daily intelligence briefing.”
“Barack Obama’s statement is pathetic,” Levin said, commenting on a statement denying that the Obama White House ordered the surveillance.
Levin then laid out a four-step process for investigating the scandal:
- “They ought to release both FISA court applications, where they sought the warrant.”
- “Congress needs to see the daily intelligence briefings over the past year or so.”
- “For the Republicans in Congress, you control the majority, and if the Democrats do not want to assist, and they won’t – because I’m starting to think Chuck Schumer and the others are participating in all this cover-up activity – then, plow ahead without them.”
- “Recess appoint a deputy attorney general.”
By making a recess appointment deputy attorney general, Trump could prevent Democrats from hijacking the investigation, now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself, Levin said:
“Then, because Attorney General Sessions recused himself from matters affecting the Russian investigation and so forth, then, the deputy attorney general, who is recessed appointed, is the acting attorney general for purposes of an investigation relating to this.”
On Saturday, Levin made his case on Facebook by pointing to the media reports he cited the next day in his Fox interview - and suggested the news stories are just the tip of the iceberg:
“Here's just some of what we know about the Obama administration and its intel/law enforcement tactics from the public record -- aka, media reports.”
He closed his Fox interview by issuing a challenge to Democrats:
“I agree with the Democrats: let’s get to the bottom of this. So, join me.” “Let’s go!”