Obama spokesman denies Trump charge of wire-tapping

President Donald Trump's accusation that his predecessor ordered his phones to be tapped is "simply false", Barack Obama's spokesman Kevin Lewis said Saturday. "Neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any US citizen," he said.

Trump made his accusation in a series of tweets: "Terrible! Just found out Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

The president was taking the offensive against Democratic allegations of his campaign’s collusion with Putin, which he has flatly denied as unfounded. His associates have accused the opposition of conducting a witch hunt against the Trump presidency and cabinet members.