Former FBI deputy director: Trump ‘absolutely wrong’ on FISA claims

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe criticized former President Trump’s claims about a section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on Thursday.

“My guess, Jim, is that, it’s not surprising that Donald Trump is against surveillance capacity and authority for the FBI, because he is someone who’s been investigated by the FBI,” McCabe said on “CNN Newsroom” with anchor Jim Acosta. “But nevertheless, he is absolutely wrong on this count.” 

The former president called on House Republicans to shoot down a bill that would have reauthorized Section 702 of FISA. That section gives the government the power to spy on foreigners overseas without a warrant and expires in less than two weeks.

“KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social before a meeting of House Republicans to talk about FISA.

McCabe said there is “no truth or accuracy” in Trump’s post “at all.” However, McCabe also seemed to suggest that Trump could be talking about the FBI previously getting a warrant to spy on Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

“We now know there were many mistakes in that FISA, those are all regrettable, but that is not Section 702, totally different thing here,” McCabe continued. 

Trump signed a six-year renewal of Section 702 back in 2018, saying in a post on the social platform X that it was “NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election.”

“I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!” Trump continued in his post. 

Nineteen House Republicans voted to stop legislation for the reauthorization of Section 702 from advancing Wednesday.