Story perspectives

Trump officials alleged illegal Comey wiretap from Air Force One

8/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

Court filings allege senior Trump officials ordered illegal wiretaps on former FBI director James Comey while President Donald Trump watched from Air Force One.
Trump and his allies have dismissed the author’s forecasts as “preposterous,” “phoney” and “fake news.”
Democratic members of Congress are bracing for unprecedented intensity as they could retake one or both houses in November.

History

Historical Context

In June 1972, members of President Richard Nixon’s re-election committee broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters, installing bugs that led to the release of 1,250 secret tapes and Nixon’s resignation in August 1974. Decades later, senior officials in Donald Trump’s administration faced accusations of ordering illegal wiretaps on former FBI director James Comey, echoing the Watergate pattern of executive surveillance and congressional investigations.

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Story summary

Court filings allege senior Trump officials ordered illegal wiretaps on former FBI director James Comey while President Donald Trump watched from Air Force One.
Trump and his allies have dismissed the author’s forecasts as “preposterous,” “phoney” and “fake news.”
Democratic members of Congress are bracing for unprecedented intensity as they could retake one or both houses in November.

1 / 2