Trump accuses Obama of being behind leaks, protests

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused his predecessor Barack Obama of being behind a series of leaks that have rocked his administration.

“I think that President Obama’s behind it because his people are certainly behind it,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News.

“And some of the leaks possibly come from that group, you know, some of the leaks -- which are very serious leaks, because they’re very bad in terms of national security.”

Trump did not provide any evidence to support his claims.

Michael Flynn was forced to resign as national security advisor early in the administration after media reports exposed his contacts with the Russian ambassador to Washington before Trump assumed power.

Reports also claimed he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the discussions over sanctions.

Fox News reported earlier this month that an anonymous former senior intelligence officer told them he believed the directors of the CIA and national intelligence during the Obama era were behind the Flynn leaks.

Turning to protests against his administration that have erupted across the country, Trump said that Obama is also likely behind them because “that's politics”.

- Yemen raid

He added: “And it will probably continue. I’m not really surprised because I understand the way the world works. It’s politics. I mean I’m changing things that he’s wanted to do.”

Again, Trump did not offer any support for his claims.

The president also commented on the controversial special forces raid in Yemen last month that ended in the deaths of Navy SEAL William Owens and civilians.

Trump said the operation yielded “tremendous amounts of information” and claimed it had “started” before he took office.

Owens’ family have called for an investigation into the mission.

Meanwhile, former President George W. Bush, who withheld his endorsement from Trump, appeared to take aim at his fellow Republican. He told People magazine he did not “like the racism and I don’t like the name-calling and I don’t like the people feeling alienated”.

He added: “Nobody likes that.”

In the days following Trump’s Nov. 8 victory, the Southern Poverty Law Center tracked a dramatic uptick in hate incidents nationwide. The center said hate groups were at “near-historic highs” with the biggest change seen in a near 200 percent increase in anti-Muslim groups.