Israeli Republican Official: Don’t Try to Explain President’s Posts Without More Data

In an interview on Army Radio Sunday, Zvika Brot, an Israeli advisor to the Republican Party, said that the public should not be so quick to judge President Donald Trump for comments that seem odd. “We have to be honest and say that there are things that do not always need to be explained, and cannot always be explained publicly,” said Brot when he was asked about the latest “Twitter scandal” involving the President – in which former President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower before the election, an accusation Obama has denied.

“You are asking for an explanation that cannot be explained because we do not have all the information to judge who is right and who is wrong,” Brot said. “But it is clear that we are beginning to realize that we are dealing with an unusual President, who says what he thinks in a unique style, and does not apologize for what he says. When he is attacked, he attacks right back. Do you have to like his style? Absolutely not. Many people in the U.S. and elsewhere don’t, but this does not necessarily typify his presidency. Unlike many other presidents who forgot their campaign promises when they took office, this one hasn’t.”

In a series of tweets Saturday, President Trump said that Obama had acted in a “shameful” manner by ordering his “wires tapped” during the campaign. “Is it legal for a sitting President to be “wire tapping” a race for president prior to an election? I’d bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!” the president wrote.

He has not offered evidence that the wiretaps took place, but Brot said that no one could confirm this – or deny it, as the information was not available. “We have no way of knowing if this is true or not right now.” In general, he said, the press and the public would do well not to take the tweets too seriously. Both sides – Trump and Obama – claim that the truth is with them. There is no way for the public to know which one is telling the truth, Brot added. “The best thing to do is to move on. We cannot keep stopping the process of government every time something comes up. We have to get used to the fact that the president has a unique style.”