President Trump Ended An Interview After Refusing To Stand By His Claims That Obama Wiretapped Him

"I don't stand by anything," Trump said after being pressed on whether he stood by his claims that Obama wiretapped him.

President Trump ended a CBS News interview after he refused to back up his claims that Obama wiretapped him, saying, "I don't stand by anything."

"Words are less important to me than deeds." President Trump on why he now has "no relationship" w former President… https://t.co/feZjYv1n2x

In the interview at the White House with John Dickerson, Trump did not directly address questions about whether he still believed his repeated claims that Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower.

Dickerson asked Trump if he stood by those claims, where he called Obama "sick" and "bad."

"I don't stand by anything," Trump replied. "I just — you can take it the way you want," he told Dickerson.

After Dickerson repeatedly pressed him for an answer, Trump said he didn't have to ask him those questions because, "I have my own opinions" and ended the interview moments later.

FBI Director James Comey has testified that was no evidence to support Trump's claims. So has the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes — a staunch Trump supporter.

Trump has tried to walk back his claims, saying that he always used the word wiretapping "in quotes." Of the four tweets in which Trump accused Obama of wiretapping him, he used quotes only in two.

Here's the full bizarre exchange between Trump and Dickerson, per the CBS News transcript.

JOHN DICKERSON: Did President Obama give you any advice that was helpful? That you think, wow, he really was--

DONALD TRUMP: Well, he was very nice to me. But after that, we've had some difficulties. So it doesn't matter. You know, words are less important to me than deeds. And you-- you saw what happened with surveillance. And everybody saw what happened with surveillance--

DICKERSON: Difficulties how?

TRUMP: -- and I thought that -- well, you saw what happened with surveillance. And I think that was inappropriate, but that's the way--

DICKERSON: What does that mean, sir?

TRUMP: You can figure that out yourself.

DICKERSON: Well, I-- the reason I ask is you said he was-- you called him "sick and bad."

TRUMP: Look, you can figure it out yourself. He was very nice to me with words, but-- and when I was with him -- but after that, there has been no relationship.

DICKERSON: But you stand by that claim about him?

TRUMP: I don't stand by anything. I just-- you can take it the way you want. I think our side's been proven very strongly. And everybody's talking about it. And frankly it should be discussed. I think that is a very big surveillance of our citizens. I think it's a very big topic. And it's a topic that should be number one. And we should find out what the hell is going on.

JDICKERSON: I just wanted to find out, though. You're-- you're the President of the United States. You said he was "sick and bad" because he had tapped you-- I'm just--

TRUMP: You can take-- any way. You can take it any way you want.

DICKERSON: But I'm asking you. Because you don't want it to be--

TRUMP: You don't--

DICKERSON: --fake news. I want to hear it from--

TRUMP: You don't have to--

DICKERSON: --President Trump.

TRUMP: --ask me. You don't have to ask me.

DICKERSON: Why not?

TRUMP: Because I have my own opinions. You can have your own opinions.

DICKERSON: But I want to know your opinions. You're the President of the United States.

TRUMP: Okay, it's enough. Thank you. Thank you very much.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Skip to footer