Politics

After Trump tweet, UK spy agency says claim it spied on Trump is utterly ridiculous

Key Points
  • Trump on Wednesday tweeted that a former CIA analyst, Larry Johnson, had accused Britain of spying on the Trump campaign.
  • A GCHQ spokesman said: "The allegations that GCHQ was asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then President Elect are nonsense."
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and British Prime Minister Theresa May (L)
Alex Wong | Getty Images

Britain's main eavesdropping agency on Wednesday said allegations that it had been asked by the Obama administration to spy on Donald Trump after the 2016 presidential election were utterly ridiculous and should be ignored.

Trump on Wednesday tweeted that a former CIA analyst, Larry Johnson, had accused Britain of spying on the Trump campaign. Trump said: "It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!"

Tweet

When asked about the tweet, a GCHQ spokesman said: "The allegations that GCHQ was asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then President Elect are nonsense. They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored."