There is another not well known reality, where Clapper could have asked Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand spy on Trump and any American or Americans without ordering it to be done by the NSA or FBI. Leaving Obama able to say, “I didn’t order the spying on Trump Tower, or as Nixon said decades ago, “I am not a crook!”
1. Project 5 eyes
2. Project Echelon
3. Project Prism
#1 and #2 go back to the early days after President Truman got rid of the OSS and established the CIA and the NSA.
Neither agency were supposed to spy on American citizens as per their charter.
However, with 5 eyes, we would/could spy on the UK/Brits, Australians, Kiwis and Canadians and let the mother countries know when they might have problems. Then, they would monitor American citizens for us and give us the data on American Citizens. Supposedly the countries mentioned above can’t spy on their own people. Our NSA/CIA/? Could do that and report to the mother country if there was a problem.
Echelon came about a little later, and with the 5 eyes lateral spying agreement, Echelon became solidified and very functional for decades.
Prism supposedly replaced 5 eyes and Echelon, but the 5 Eyes/Echelon concept was/is still there.
So Obama would not had to ask NSA/FBI to spy on Trump. He could have had Clapper ask his counterpart in Canada to monitor Trump Towers and listen in to what was said.
The FBI may have put bugs in or set up electronic interceptions at Trump Towers for their Canadian intel counterparts to monitor all verbal and digital transmission to and from Trump Tower in October of last year until this year up to Trump becoming President.
GW in one of his current mumblings, may have directed us to Canada and the process noted above! So did Canada monitor Trump and his people in Trump Towers, in NYC and then report back to Obama, NSA, FBI and ?, so Obama could deny that he ordered the spying?
Obama is playing a game by saying he didn’t order the FBI?NSA to spy on candidate Trump and his people. Obama probably had Clapper or ? ask his Canadian counterparts to spy on Trump and his people.
Have fun with this data! Don’t try searching for this late at night to avoid getting insomnia.