With tweetstorm, Trump may have exercised exclusive declassification authority / ABC News

[Jimbo101]

ABC News

In tweeting accusations that former President Barack Obama ordered surveillance of his campaign, President Donald Trump potentially made public the existence of Top Secret wiretaps – a move that would be a federal crime, if performed by anyone other than the commander-in-chief.

Trump’s stunning allegation came in an early morning tweetstorm, in which he wrote in part: “Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory.”

Because the sitting president offered no evidence to back up his claim, it wasn’t clear whether the tweet – which was followed by four others taking on his predecessor, including one misspelling the word “tap” – was based on classified knowledge he received in his capacity as president, or on an article posted yesterday to the conservative Breitbart website.

It also isn't known whether such federal wiretaps actually existed.

If – through his tweets – Trump revealed secret government information about surveillance, he exercised an exclusive privilege afforded only to the president as the ultimate declassification authority.

[KittyWampus]

1. sort of a meaningless observation- Trump IS president. And any reputable article would point out

Obama could not "order surveillance of his campaign".

[shraby]

3. Not necessarily meaningless. Are the FISA warrants now available under the

Freedom of information rules?

[ismnotwasm]

2. I cringe every time I read that "wires tapped" phrase.

Just...no

[guillaumeb]

4. Every time Trump speaks I cringe a little.

It must be even worse for women.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Just a major distraction as to

what will happen on Monday. Trump has his roll out of the New Keep them Muslims Out of America. Plus Ryan and McConnell have Legislation they need to move and apparently it must be really ugly and need a distraction.